Workers at Forest Valley Terrace, a retirement home in Orleans, Ontario, are celebrating a strong arbitration award that delivers meaningful improvements to their wages and benefits. Covering a wide range of occupations such as Resident Specialists, Cooks, Dietary Servers, and Housekeepers, the award ensures that employees are recognized for the critical care and services they provide every day.
Prior to this award, all employees at Forest Valley Terrace were earning minimum wage. The new wage grid changes that reality, placing every step of the scale above the provincial minimum. Some workers will now earn as much as $19.66 an hour, representing an increase of more than two dollars from their previous rate.
In addition to wage increases, the award introduced a weekend premium of $0.15 per hour, enhanced vision coverage, and higher employer contributions to the pension plan. Together, these improvements mark a major step forward in recognizing the vital contributions of workers in the retirement home sector.
Members welcomed the award with enthusiasm and expressed their gratitude for the hard work and commitment of IAM in securing a strong contract. These gains ensure that Forest Valley Terrace employees will not only be compensated more fairly but will also see improved support for their long-term financial security and well-being.
