An interest arbitration board awarded special wage adjustments to occupational therapy assistants, physiotherapy assistants and hospitality service workers at Quinte Health, finding the hospital’s wages for these classifications had fallen behind local comparators.
The board granted a 50-cent special wage adjustment for occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistants on top of the general wage increase in both years of the collective agreement, and a 25-cent special adjustment for hospitality and facility service representatives in the second year.
The award determined the terms of a renewal collective agreement between Quinte Health and Unifor Local 8300 covering the period from October 2023 to October 2025. The prior collective agreement expired in October 2023.
Quinte Health operates four hospitals in Belleville, Bancroft, Picton and Trenton with 2,519 employees across five bargaining units. Unifor represents approximately 870 service employees at all four hospitals, the largest bargaining unit.
Special wage adjustments
The board found that looking at local comparators, Quinte Health had paid approximately $1 more per hour than Brockville and had lagged Perth and Smiths Falls by approximately $2 per hour for occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistants. The gap between Quinte Health and Kingston had been over $5 per hour.
The board found that if no special wage adjustment was granted, Quinte Health would become the lowest paid in the local area and the gap between what it paid and what Perth and Smiths Falls and Kingston paid would grow.
The board found it was unlikely that free collective bargaining would result in the wages paid to these workers falling relative to the gains achieved by their local comparators. A special wage adjustment of 50 cents on both Oct. 11, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2024, prior to application of the three per cent general wage increase was justified to maintain relative wage gaps.
The board rejected arguments that this encouraged leap-frogging between Brockville and Quinte Health, finding the argument failed to account for losses against the rates paid by Kingston and Perth and Smiths Falls. The board found over time, the rates between these local comparators would likely shrink rather than increase at Quinte Health.
For hospitality service and facility service representatives, the board found wages at Quinte Health had traditionally been low compared to local comparators despite the range of responsibilities of these workers encompassing some responsibilities of higher paid workers at other local area hospitals.
The board found over time, some measure of catch-up would be anticipated but would not be achieved in one round of bargaining. A special wage adjustment of 25 cents on Oct. 11, 2024, prior to application of the three per cent general wage increase was justified.
General wage increases and other improvements
The parties had agreed to a three per cent general wage increase in each year of the collective agreement. At the hearing, the employer also accepted the union’s proposal regarding pandemic pay.
The board awarded pandemic pay within 60 days to all occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistants employed on Aug. 13, 2020, who did not already receive pandemic pay: $1,750 for full-time workers, $1,250 for part-time workers, and $750 for casual workers.
The board increased various premiums and allowances effective the date of the award, including raising the standby rate to $4.50 from $3.50 per hour, changing the callback rate to double time from time and one-half, increasing the evening shift premium to $2.25 from $2.20 per hour, and raising the night shift premium to $2.98 from $2.30 per hour.
The weekend premium increased to $3.14 from $2.70 per hour. The board introduced a new charge nurse premium of $1.20 per hour whenever a nurse is assigned overall responsibility for patient care on a unit.
The safety footwear allowance increased to $200 from $100 per year. The meal allowance increased to $9 from $6 and the transportation allowance increased to 55 cents from 40 cents per kilometre.
The board amended benefits effective the first day of the first full month after the award, including increasing vision care to cover eye examinations every 24 months, reducing the hearing aid allowance frequency to every 48 months from 60 months while increasing the maximum to $1,000 from $500, and increasing coverage for chiropractor, physiotherapist and massage therapy services to $450 annually from $375.
Psychology coverage increased to $800 annually from $500. Dental coverage maximums increased, with implants, dentures and orthodontics increasing to $2,000 from $1,500. The board introduced a health spending account of $100 per year.
The mentorship premium increased to $2 per hour from 60 cents per hour.
Rejected proposals
The employer nominee dissented from the award, disagreeing with the special wage adjustment for occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistants, finding the classification was not significantly out of line with comparators. The employer nominee strongly disagreed with awarding pandemic pay to workers excluded from the government program in 2020, stating interest arbitration boards have no legitimate basis or jurisdiction to amend government policy decisions.
The union nominee dissented in part, stating the union made convincing arguments for greater wage awards for registered practical nurses and skilled trades workers based on voluntary settlements, recruitment and retention difficulties, and sectorial comparability.
For more information, see Quinte Health v Unifor Local 8300, 2026 CanLII 681 (ON LA).
