Atlantic Packaging workers secure strong deal

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor members at Atlantic Packaging have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new collective agreement that will see increases in wages and benefits. The new agreement will see wage increases of 2 per cent in each year of the contract that are retroactive to October 15, 2014 when the last agreement expired.

In addition to a $1,000 signing bonus, workers will receive improvements to their dental, vision and long-term disability programs as well as other monetary items such as allotments for boots, shift premiums and severance payouts.

"The pattern Unifor is setting in the forest products industry delivers strong economic gains and important advancements for workers across the country," said Jerry Dias, National President of Unifor.

In February of last year, Unifor committed to bargaining wage and benefit increases for workers in the forestry sector in Eastern Canada after noting that the industry returned to profitability due in large part to years of sacrifices and cutbacks from the workers. The approximately 65 workers at Atlantic Packaging are the latest to achieve these increases that Unifor established last year when it reached an agreement with Resolute Forest Products.

"Members at Local 1894 were extremely pleased with this agreement especially in light of the uncertainty in the industry and lost ground for the workers in recent years," said Mike Kachurowski, National Representative at Unifor. 

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.

SOURCE Unifor