CUPE 5478 Ratify First Collective Agreement With The Gathering Place

Employees at The Gathering Place, a community health centre in St. John’s, have ratified their first-ever tentative agreement, averting possible job action.

“We’re proud of the provisions in this first collective agreement,” said CUPE 5478 President Jon Bennett. “Now we have a solid foundation on which we will continue to build.”

These workers unionized with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) forming CUPE 5478, and after a year of bargaining, a tentative agreement was reached on April 17.

Notable gains include improved wages, better bereavement and personal leave provisions, increases to overtime pay, and language that enforces worker rights in the context of evolving safety risks in their workplace.

CUPE 5478 workers provide complex supports to vulnerable members of the community and sometimes work with a high risk of violence or other health and safety concerns.

“Today marks a significant victory for these workers,” said CUPE Newfoundland & Labrador President Sherry Hillier. “They have secured a strong first agreement which reflects the priorities of members and their passion for, and commitment to, the service they provide to vulnerable communities in St. John’s.”

“From joining our union to ratifying our first deal,” continued Bennett, “we could not have gotten to where we are without the support, strength, and unwavering solidarity shown by every single worker at The Gathering Place.”

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