Registered nurses at St. Angela’s Meadow Care Centre in Chatham have unanimously voted to approve a new two-year collective agreement.
Represented by CLAC Local 303, the nine nurses secured a 2.25% wage hike in the first year, followed by 2% in year two, along with increases to mental health coverage and shift premiums.
Running retroactively from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028, the contract also provides improved mental health coverage, higher shift premiums, and paid isolation leave for communicable diseases.
A key highlight is a new clause ensuring shift-reporting time, previously uncompensated, is now recognized and paid as time worked.
“We are happy that reporting time will now be considered time worked and paid accordingly,” said Mary Ellen VanderSluis, a CLAC representative in a news release. “This is work that is done every shift and was previously unpaid. It’s a big win for our registered nurses and is long overdue.”
VanderSluis added that union leadership hopes the financial improvements will also help with recruitment and retention at the Chatham long-term care facility.
