Collective agreements set out the terms and conditions of employment of unionized workers as well as the rights, privileges and obligations of the union, employer and workers. U of T develops plans for a safe return to campus; U of T, however, is not sure exactly when staff will be called to work. Precariousness poses greater challenges for workers, especially for casual workers who “may not be eligible for employment insurance when the CERB expires,” Burke wrote. However, casual CUPE 3261 members have not had a salary increase since 2010 and the initial salary of food service employees was $11.35 and increased to $15.06 after 2 years. When they were a benefit that was very similar to the work of full-time workers, it was even more important to reach a minimum wage of $15. Even if Aramark commits to reaching this rate by May 2018, the University of Toronto could do better. Colleen: When CUPE 3261 negotiated first, their strength at the table and their ability to earn an immediate increase to $15 gave the 1998 ETC a huge boost to the table. The solidarity of CUPE and ETC through the Vision 2020 campaign has helped both unions achieve significant profits. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3261, Casual (CUPE, Local 3261 Casual) represents casual workers on all three campuses (many are students at the University of Toronto).
Leanne: UNITE HERE Local 75 members have entered into a collective agreement with Aramark on the University of Toronto`s Scarborough campus as part of contract food services. These Aramark employees also went on strike with their colleagues in York in March 2017. This has had a profound impact on UTSC workers and students. It was troubling to see workers in Canada`s largest and richest post-secondary institution lead a picket line for a $15 minimum wage. How did the gain of a $15 minimum wage for union members lead the university to increase the wages of their casual and temporary non-unionized employees to $15 on January 1, 2018? On January 1, 2018, the University of Toronto raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour for the majority of its casual non-union workers. This is done as a result of CUPE and UofT residents in UofT negotiations and a gain of at least $15 for all unionized employees.