Highlights of Improvements – Ottawa City-Wide Agreement
JUL 1, 2025– JUN 30, 2028
These are only highlights! There are dozens more wins and improvements.
To learn more details, please refer to your collective agreement or ask your rep.
For information on the City-Wide addendums (GDI – Hotels (Le Germain, Hilton and Homewood, Alt), Bee Clean – Baggage Operators, GDI – Carlingwood Mall, Dexterra – Maintenance at U of O) please contact your Union representative.
Improved Wages
Over the three-year agreement members will see their hourly wages increase by $3.00. That’s a 14% increase! You’ll receive five (5) increases over the next three years including retro to July 1 2025.
- Overnight shift premium goes up to $0.60 on July 1 2026.
- Leadhand head premium goes up by an extra $0.15 on July 1 2026.
- Leadhand is now a classification that requires a job posting – that means everyone will have the chance to apply.
- Cleaning with telescopic poles added to existing list of special project tasks that receive $0.50 hourly premium.
Workload Protection and Shift Coverage for Absences
- It’s a historic win to gain language on the topics of workload and coverage for the first time. Although workloads may change from time to time, there will be no unreasonable accretion of work to be performed without a commensurate adjustment in the paid time to perform it.
- The Employer must endeavor to cover shifts that are vacant due to absences.
- The Union will develop a phone app that shows extra shifts that are available at unionized cleaning companies across Ottawa, also known as a “digital hiring hall’.
Migrant Worker Rights
- We resolved to fight the exploitation of migrant workers. Now migrant workers have full protection under the collective agreement and support in their immigration process.
Improved Health Benefits
- Benefit changes will take effect 3 months after the collective agreement is ratified
- $200.00 annual Health care spending account for members
- Out of country emergency medical coverage.
- Short term disability coverage (income during medical leave)
- No yearly maximum for drug coverage – previously, it was $5000 a year.
- Vision is now $300 for 2 years, going up from $250.
- It will be easier to keep benefit coverage if your work hours change or are reduced.
Additional Paid Personal Days
As of July 1 2027, employees who have 1 year of seniority shall be entitled to five (5) personal days per contract year instead of four (4), and employees who have 5 years of seniority shall be entitled to six (6) personal days per contract year instead of five (5).
Personal days can still be used for illness and you can bank up to eight (8) days a year.
Pension Plan Continues to Grow
We secured higher pension contributions for your retirement with the Multi-Sector Pension Plan (MSPP). On July 1 2027, employer and employee contributions will go up to 3% respectively.
Multi-Sector Pension Plan
905-889-6200 (Option 1)
1-800-287-4816
info@mspp.ca
More Uniform Shirt and Increased Reimbursements for Pants, Safety Shoes, Medical Notes
- Employees who regularly work 4 or more shifts weekly will get 4 uniform shirts at the start of employment. Employees who work less than 4 shifts weekly will still get 3 shirts.
- Uniform pant reimbursement has gone up to $100.00 a year.
- Employees who are required by the Employer to wear certified safety shoes on the job will be reimbursed, up to $175.00 every two (2) years, upon receipt of proof of purchase.
- For floor finishing work (e.g., striping and waxing), the Employer will provide plastic shoe coverings to protect their shoes. Alternatively, the Employer can provide footwear by reimbursing employees up to $60.00 per year, upon receipt of proof of purchase.
- Medical note reimbursement has gone up to $50.00
Vacation
- Changes to the vacation request system will now allow seniority rights to apply for the whole calendar year if the request is submitted early. Previously, seniority was only applied for vacation requests between April and December.
- Vacation Requests shall be submitted to the Employer in writing between October 1st and November 15th for vacation leave in the subsequent calendar year. Vacation Requests shall be granted in accordance with seniority subject to operational requirements. The Employer shall notify employees in writing whether their vacation request has been approved or denied no later than November 30th.
- Vacation Requests submitted after the November 15th deadline shall be granted on a first come first served basis subject to operational requirements. The Employer will respond to such requests within 7 days of the request being made and will advise the employee of the vacation periods that remain available.
- Employees who have twenty-five (25) years of employment with the Company are entitled to six (6) weeks of paid vacation at twelve (12%) percent of gross salary.
Payroll Error Protections
Where the Employer is responsible for the error and the amount equals or exceeds $50.00, an electronic deposit or transfer, if possible, shall be made or a cheque will be issued and delivered to the employee within two (2) business days for amounts equal to or exceeding $50.00. Where the Employer fails to meet this timeline, employees who provide evidence that they have incurred additional expenses as a result of the payroll error shall be reimbursed for these expenses.