GRAVENHURST - Town council and its outside workers have reached a four-year contract agreement, providing some budget stability through 2016.
Mayor Paisley Donaldson said the agreement was reached early Oct. 2 after four days of positive negotiations with the 25 full-time and part-time outside workers in OPSEU Local 325.
“The parties have worked hard to achieve a negotiated agreement and a fair and reasonable settlement for our employees and for the benefit our taxpayers, residents and businesses,” the mayor said. “Council is pleased that the parties came to an agreement and we are happy with the results.”
The deal includes a two per cent increase for each of the first three years and in the fourth year will be split into a 1.25 per cent increase in April 2015 and the same again come October of that year. The agreement will end March 31, 2016.
The mayor said the agreement also includes minor benefit enhancements and several other non-monetary alterations, including amending some work hours and adding time flexibility to create staff efficiency, “resulting in cost savings and significant improvements to service delivery.”
With the ratification of the outside workers agreement, council has locked up its main employee contracts for the next few years, having approved a similar deal with the inside workers earlier this year.