A new four-year collective agreement has been ratified by the City of Courtenay and CUPE Local 556.

 “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with our CUPE employees,” said Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells. “This agreement reflects mutual dedication to our strong collaborative and respectful relationship, and provides ongoing stability and certainty for our organization and the many services we provide to our community.  I’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work throughout the negotiations.”

“The bargaining process was respectful and that was certainly appreciated by our CUPE 556 Courtenay Unit Negotiating Committee,” said CUPE 556 Courtenay Unit Vice Terri Cox. “The union looks forward to maintaining this respectful relationship over the next four years while we make progress together on workplace improvements which will assist us in serving the public.”

The agreement includes the following scheduled wage increases for unionized employees:

• $0.68 effective January 1, 2021
• Two per cent annually in 2022, 2023, and 2024

The agreement also includes the formation of two new joint committees with participation from the employer and employees to review benefits, new jobs and change classifications, along with improvements to the existing Labour Management Committee and numerous minor amendments. 

CUPE 556 represents the municipal workers of the Comox Valley, including full time, part-time, casual, temporary, and seasonal City of Courtenay employees delivering a range of inside and outside services across the organization, including administrative, technical, community, and maintenance roles.

For more information about working for the City of Courtenay, including active employment opportunities and core values, visit www.courtenay.ca/jobs