Non-unionized staff at the Region of Queens will see a significant pay hike this year.

At their September 14 meeting, council voted to increase wages to that group by four percent.

Mayor Darlene Norman says yearly cost of living increases are normally tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The provincial index sits at 4.6 percent for 2021 while the Canadian CPI is 3.7 so council decided to split the difference and arrived at the four percent increase.

Norman says the Region works to be fair to all their staff.

“As an operation, which has union and non-unionized employees, we try to keep things pretty well equal,” said Norman.

During the 2020 pandemic, the CPI stayed flat and non-unionized employees didn’t receive a pay bump, while, because of the terms of their contract, unionized employees added two percent.

Norman says union members will receive another two percent increase this year and the four percent non-unionized workers are getting will put them back on equal footing again.

The municipality will pay an extra $52,000 this year for the cost of living increases.

The new wages go into effect October 1.

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