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TORONTO—Nearly 100 newly unionized food service workers at Oakham House have ratified their first collective agreement as members of Unifor Local 591-G, securing major improvements to wages, benefits, and working conditions.
“Forming a union was a brave choice for Oakham House workers and it is paying off with a strong first collective agreement,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We’re thrilled with what the bargaining committee at Local 591-G was able to accomplish.”
The three-year agreement, effective retroactively from May 1, 2024, delivers wage increases of 4.25 per cent in the first year, followed by 3 per cent increases in each of the following two years. Many workers—most of whom are part-time student workers employed during the academic year—will see wage boosts of up to 15 per cent when they return to work this fall.
“These new Unifor members will see real, immediate improvements in their pay and workplace conditions,” said President of Unifor Local 591-G Burke Moffat. “The members at Oakham House are an excellent example of the gains that collective action and unionizing can achieve for workers. Large wage increases, more time off and increased benefits are the result.”
The new contract also adds two paid holidays—Easter Monday and a floating holiday—and makes significant improvements to the wage grid. Workers will now reach the top of their wage scale in just three years instead of five, with a total wage progression of 10 per cent from entry to maximum, doubling the previous rate of increase.
The agreement covers servers, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, and conference servers, many of whom are young, part-time workers balancing jobs with their education. Oakham House is a multipurpose heritage building on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
