Seaway workers ratify contract

CORNWALL: Unionized employees of the St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) have ratified a three-year labour agreement covering April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014. The employees are members of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union.

The agreement provides annual wage increases of two percent. In the last two years of the contract, the agreement provides for either the negotiated 2 percent or 50 percent of the CPI rate, whichever is greater. The contract includes a lump sum payout to discontinue the practice of paying separation and retirement gratuities and streamlines aspects of the job classification system.