County reaches deal with Teamsters Local 879, which represents workers with the roads division

Essex County Council has endorsed a three-year collective agreement with Teamsters Local 879, which represents workers with the roads division of the County's Infrastructure Services department.

This contract replaces seasonal rates with a single rate, and also provides for an average wage increase of 3.38 per cent in the first year, 2.98 per cent in the second year, and 3.01 per cent in the third year. 

This agreement is from retroactive to April 1, 2023 and expires on March 31, 2026.

This deal allows for improvements to benefits, and enhancements to procedures governing vacations, scheduling, holidays and overtime. 
It also makes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a paid holiday, which is already in place for other County of Essex employees.

The deal was ratified last week by members of Teamsters Local 879, which represents 34 employees in the roads department, including operators, mechanics, lead hands and traffic signal electricians. 

The department is responsible for a road network that is 1,503 kilometres long and spans all seven local municipalities.