City and electrical workers agree on 10% pay increase over five years
By Bill Metcalfe
After more than two years of negotiations, the City of Nelson and its electrical workers have agreed on a wage increase of 10% over five years.
The increases will take effect at 2% every year, retroactive to 2012.
The city’s previous contract with Local 1003 of the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) expired on January 1, 2012.
The new agreement also sees the union abandoning its private pension plan and joining the rest of city staff in the municipal pension plan.
Also, there will be a reduction in the amount of banked sick leave the city will pay out to employees on retirement.
All of the city’s 11 IBEW employees are certified trades people working for Nelson Hydro. At the end of the old contract, their base hourly pay, across several job categories, ranged from $31.21 to $43.78 per hour.
This agreement follows the signing of a new agreement last June with the city’s 80 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
Still to come are expired contracts with the police and fire unions.
Related stories in The Nelson Daily
City and CUPE agree on 5% over 3 years (June 2013)
Mayor wants to change process for bargaining with police and fire unions (July 2013)
