A reminder that all members of UFCW 1518 under the Community Subsector agreement will receive a 2% wage increase as of the first full pay period of April 2021, in accordance with the 2019-2022 collective agreement. Part of the terms that were agreed upon in 2018 included increases of 6% over 3 years for all workers, improvement of employment security provisions, creation of a “task force” to investigate guaranteed hours and other issues, and additional funding for the Enhanced Disability Management Program. Although long-standing wage issues were mostly addressed with the $40 million in Low Wage Redress funding, UFCW 1518 recognizes that there are still discrepancies between the Community Subsector and the Facilities Subsector collective agreements, and that wages are not the only issue. The mileage compensation rate of $0.54 listed in the collective agreement is below the 2021 “reasonable rate” of $0.59 identified by the Canada Revenue Agency. Union Representative, Ashley Campbell, acknowledges that there is still more work to be done. At this time, UFCW 1518 is persistent in getting traction to ensure employers provide the necessary T2200 claim forms, so that Community Health Workers can potentially claim the wear-and-tear on their vehicles to offset the low mileage rate. Your Union is currently reviewing as to whether there is merit behind a policy grievance for failure to provide T2200 forms. The Union recognizes the vital services that all members of Community Health provide and will continue to advocate for improvements to build upon the existing agreement.