Non-unionized staff at the Region of Queens will see a significant pay hike this year.<\/p>\n
At their September 14 meeting, council voted to increase wages to that group by four percent.<\/p>\n
Mayor Darlene Norman says yearly cost of living increases are normally tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Norman says the Region works to be fair to all their staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an operation, which has union and non-unionized employees, we try to keep things pretty well equal,\u201d said Norman.<\/p>\n
During the 2020 pandemic, the CPI stayed flat and non-unionized employees didn\u2019t receive a pay bump, while, because of the terms of their contract, unionized employees added two percent.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The municipality will pay an extra $52,000 this year for the cost of living increases.<\/p>\n
The new wages go into effect October 1.<\/p>\n