CUPE 905 members at City of Richmond Hill vote in favour of new agreement, bringing end to strike

RICHMOND HILL, ON –(COMMUNITYWIRE)– CUPE 905 members at the City of Richmond Hill have voted in favour of a new agreement that makes important gains for members, bringing an end to a 3-week strike that began on November 22.

“From the start of this strike, our members have said this is about fairness and the need for meaningful salary increases that help address the rising cost of living, and I am proud to say that we were able to achieve that,” said CUPE Local 905 Unit Chair Jake Matta. “Through the strike, we showed that we were willing to fight for a fair deal. We stood strong on the picket line and as a result were able to make these important and long overdue gains.”

CUPE 905 members at the City of Richmond Hill include workers who maintain parks, arenas, community centres, roads and sidewalks, ensure clean drinking water and produce all events at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.  

Details of the new agreement include:

• Salary increases of 10.25% over three years, plus hourly adjustments of between $0.75 to $2.50 per hour for multiple positions
• 4 full-time positions at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
• A Market Compensation Review with wage increases to pull all positions into the top one-third of comparable municipalities
• Increases to health benefits, standby pay and shift premiums

“This is a win not just for CUPE 905 members at the City of Richmond Hill, but for all municipal workers across York Region and the GTA” said CUPE Local 905 President Katherine Grzejszczak. “This strike showed that when workers fight together, we win! We refuse to accept crumbs while municipalities pile money into compensation for upper management – after all it’s us doing the work.”

CUPE 905 also thanked the community for their patience as well as the many unions who offered their support during the strike.

“Whether it was a honk of your horn or showing up to join us on the picket line, the support from Richmond Hill residents and from the labour movement helped boost our spirits and gave us the resolve to continue our fight,” Matta said. “We look forward to returning to work and continuing to serve our community.”

CUPE 905 members will be back at work on Thursday, December 12.

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For more information, contact:

Katherine Grzejszczak
President, CUPE Local 905
416-886-7914