By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The union representing workers at Résidence Bromont has announced a new five-year collective agreement that includes a range of significant improvements to wages, working conditions, and job security.
Ratified by 86 per cent of union members during a June 6 meeting, the agreement was officially signed on June 26 and took effect retroactively from June 16. It will remain in force until June 15, 2030.
“This is a big contract,” said Roxane Larouche, national representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1991-P, in an interview with The Record. “The union is very happy, and I would say the workers are as well.”
The agreement includes annual salary increases ranging between 2.6 and 6.6 per cent depending on job classification, with additional raises tied to the consumer price index (CPI) built into years four and five. “If the index is more than what we usually see—say more than 2 per cent—their raise will follow the CPI plus 25 cents per hour,” Larouche explained. “It’s a good way to increase the salary of the employees.”
This CPI clause is seen as a major achievement and one the union hopes to replicate elsewhere. “Whenever we can get those clauses in the bargaining agreement, that’s a big deal,” she said. “It guarantees workers will get a raise every year, no matter what.”
Other improvements include reducing the probationary period for new hires from 600 to 525 hours, a change Larouche said will make a noticeable difference—especially for part-time employees. “If you’re working part-time, 75 hours can mean 10 months before finishing your probation,” she said. “Now it will come faster, which is meaningful.”
Paid vacation has also improved: workers will now receive a fifth week of vacation after 12 years of service. Reimbursements for work clothing have increased to $100 annually, and overtime pay will now apply after the 11th hour worked in a single day—down from the 13th.
The agreement also includes a clause allowing the parties to reopen wage discussions in the event that government bonuses for healthcare workers—introduced during the pandemic—are withdrawn. “If the government cuts those funds, we will reopen negotiations,” Larouche said.
She acknowledged that while the agreement does not meet every aspiration, it represents meaningful progress for staff who work in care, food service, housekeeping, and maintenance at the seniors’ residence. “When you’re negotiating, it’s always a game of give and take,” she said. “But from what I can see, the employees got a lot of improvement.”
According to a related release, Résidence Bromont workers have been represented by UFCW Local 1991-P since June 3, 2015. The local represents approximately 6,500 members across 80 businesses in Quebec and is part of a broader network of more than 55,000 members in the province, 255,000 across Canada, and 1.3 million throughout North America.