Ontario union wage settlements and inflation

Ontario union wage settlements averaged 1.6% in the first two months of 2012 in both the public and private sectors. This is close to the average of 1.7% in 2011, and 2.0% in 2010, with public sector settlements trailing private sector settlements in both of those years.

Inflation has been somewhat higher than the average annual wage settlements. Inflation was 2.4% in 2010 in Ontario, 3.1% in 2011, and is running at 2.6% this year to date, according to the Ontario Ministry of Labour. If this trend continues for the rest of the year, annual average settlements will be 2.93% less than inflation over the three years.

Regardless, the government is angling for a compensation freeze (and more).

Collective agreements covering 592,084 employees come open in 2012 – making this one of the bigger bargaining years. Most of the employees affected are public sector (74%). By far the largest share comes from the school board sector (255,400) in August. In total, CUPE has 392 agreements coming open covering 83,261 employees (more than any other union). Other major public sector negotiations include:

March

OPS-AMAPCEO (9,800 employees)

OPG-CUPE (7,700)

Hospitals – CAW et. Al. (5,500)

Community Living – OPSEU (3,000)

LTC – CUPE (2,400)

April

Universities – Faculty Associations (4,300)

Dehavilland – CAW (3,000)

August

Colleges—OPSEU Academic staff (10,500)

September

LTC-SEIU (15,700)
Big 3 Auto – CAW (25,500)

November

Bell—CEP (3,500)

December

Brewer’s Retail – UFCW (6,000

Ontario Public Service (provincial government)—OPSEU (40,700)

LTC-CUPE (4,400)

Ontario Power Generation – Society of Professional Engineers (3,900)

Police - Association (4,400)

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