An arbitration board has awarded staff at Robert Speck Retirement Residence in Mississauga a series of wage increases, new premiums and changes to sick leave provisions in a new three-year collective agreement.
The decision, issued under the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act, covers about 66 full-time and part-time employees represented by LiUNA Local 3000, including registered practical nurses, nurses’ assistants, cooks, dietary aides and guest attendants. The agreement runs from July 18, 2023, to July 17, 2026.
Wage increases and minimum wage adjustments
The arbitrator ordered a 3.5 per cent general wage increase effective July 18, 2023, followed by another 3.5 per cent increase on July 18, 2024, and a further 3.5 per cent increase on July 18, 2025.
In addition, minimum wage “catch-up” adjustments will be applied to servers/dietary aides and guest attendants on Oct. 1, 2023, and again on Oct. 1, 2024. The start rate for those classifications has been eliminated “to ensure a gap exists between minimum wage and their wage rate going forward,” the arbitrator ordered.
Retroactive pay will be provided to all union members dating back to July 2023.
Premiums added and increased
The award introduced a $1 per hour premium for UCP work effective the first full pay period after the decision.
The weekend premium was increased by $0.15 per hour, and a new evening premium of $0.15 per hour was added. Both apply starting with the first full pay period following the award.
Sick leave changes
The arbitrator amended the sick leave provision so that full-time employees who have completed probation will accrue one credit (7.5 hours) for every 162.5 hours worked, up to a maximum of five days.
Board’s reasoning
In reaching its decision, the arbitration board applied the replication principle under the HLDAA, which requires awards to reflect what the parties likely would have achieved through bargaining.
The union argued members’ wages were lagging behind comparable workers and that their pay should be kept above minimum wage given the responsibilities of their roles. The employer maintained wage adjustments should follow increases in minimum wage while maintaining existing differentials in the wage grid.
The decision noted the board considered statutory criteria, including the employer’s ability to pay, the economic situation in Ontario and Mississauga, comparisons to similar workplaces, and the employer’s ability to attract and retain staff.
The board remains seized with respect to interpreting and implementing the award until a collective agreement is signed. Both the employer and union nominees issued partial dissents.
For more information, see Robert Speck Retirement Residence v Labourer’s International Union of North America, Local 3000, 2025 CanLII 95029 (ON LA).
