April 5, 2023 at 12:49 am
Workers at a construction firm in Blenheim are celebrating a huge pay rise after new contracts were approved.
Workers at Clarke Construction Inc. voted 93% in favor of a new three-year collective agreement that includes a 23.6% wage increase over the term of the agreement.
The new contract also changes pay scales to reduce the number of years of service workers need to advance up the ranks and increases employer contributions to employees’ retirement savings by 3.8 percent over three years.
The 52 workers, equipment operators, truck drivers and mechanics are represented by construction workers’ union CLAC Local 53.
“The employer is pleased to be able to maintain the talented workforce of Clark’s current team,” said union representative Alex Kuiper. “These members are now some of the highest paid laborers and operators in the region.”
Clarke Construction provides services throughout Chatham-Kent such as municipal development, road reconstruction, bridge and culvert construction and sewer and water mains installation. The company also does residential work.