The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) announced a new collective agreement Aug. 18.
Member workers will see a salary increase of 1.5 per cent this year and an additional 1.5 per cent increase on April 1, 2022.
The new contract went into effect on April 1 and it will expire on March 31, 2023. The old agreement expired March 31 of this year. Negotiations for the new agreement began March 9 and ended May 31.
“During this round of bargaining, both sides came together to listen, have conversations and to find middle ground. Overall, the union is pleased with the process and the results,” said Todd Parsons, the UNW president.
Non-salary improvements for workers include an additional day of out-of-territory medical travel. Also, an additional week of an annual carryover leave will be available in each year of the contract for the public who was required to work during the pandemic.
Also:
- The GNWT is contributing $0.02 per hour to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Social Justice Fund and 50 per cent of the contribution will go to the NWT United Way;
- The Northern Living Allowance will be changed back to the April 1, 2020 totals;
- There will be a removal of binary pronouns from the agreement;
- There will be improvements to the Layoff and Retention articles to allow improved and earlier engagement for employees that have access to the GNWT opportunities.
“Employees are the GNWT’s most important resource, and it is essential that we have a fair and sustainable contract in place with them so that we continue to maintain an efficient, effective, and sustainable public service,” said Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek.