Members of the security forces at the Chalk River Laboratories will receive retroactive wage increases totalling more than 12 per cent.
Arbitrator Mark Wright issued his decision August 7 in the labour dispute between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and the Chalk River Nuclear Security Officers Association.
His ruling covers the contract period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2027.
Wright noted that during previous rounds of mediation, both sides were able to resolve almost all of their issues, except for wages.
The union argued that the security officers deserved parity with firefighters at the labs, while CNL suggested that, based on hourly rate, the security officers were already ahead.
As of April 2023, the salary for a first class firefighter was $106,840, compared to $98,610 for a member of the nuclear response force, a difference of $8,230 or 8.3 per cent.
But CNL argued that premiums paid to nuclear response officers raised their annual pay to $105,230, and that they worked a base 40-hour work week, compared to 42 hours a week for CRL firefighters.
Both the nuclear security officers and firefighters also receive “retention pay” of three, six and nine per cent after eight, 17 and 23 years of service respectively…
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