Inside and outside workers for the County of Essex have ratified a new three-year deal. Essex County Council endorsed the new collective agreement with CUPE Local 2974.1, which represents the employees in a range of administrative, technical, operational and professional classifications. Members ratified the new agreement by over 90 per cent on Tuesday evening. The deal includes wage increases of four per cent per year, enhanced vision-care coverage, a new annual health care spending account, improved statutory holiday pay, and more. The workers had voted 93 per cent in favour of strike action at the end of August after their previous agreement expired on March 31, 2026. CUPE Local 2974.1 Vice President Lindsay Simpson says these were very trying negotiations. “The employer, kudos to them, came to the table at the end of the day and we were able to reach a deal. It was some good, hard work by both sides and we’re thrilled that there’s no work stoppage at all, and we feel the contract was fair.” Simpson says the employer originally had a concession on the table for generic drug coverage. “We were able to get away from that, both sides agreed to move forward with the wellness spending to hopefully fill in the gaps which allowed us to back off on a couple of their requests for the wellness aspect. So the employer was good, we had some really good dialogue over mental health and the importance of it on a go-forward basis.” The collective agreement also included updated language related to job postings, bereavement leave, and organizational changes. Local 2974.1 represents about 60 workers at the Essex County Civic Centre, the regional landfill, the Kingsville transfer station, and the recycling centre.
