CUPE 882 membership held a ratification meeting Thursday, voting in favour of the tentative agreement reached earlier this week.

The agreement includes a number of modifications from the original agreement in June, including previously committed vision coverage and a salary supplement process to allow for salary adjustments for hard-to-recruit positions. The general wage increase remains 11 per cent over four years.

New to the agreement is a commitment to review the lifeguard salaries through the market adjustment process by February, an additional 40 cent increase to the lowest paid classifications and a one-year trial of a 5-4-5-4 schedule, which will allow employees to put in extra time in a day to earn an additional day off in a month.

The total cost of the package remains within the 11.5 per cent mandate. With the membership voting in favour of the agreement, the next step in the process will be for City Council to ratify it. Management will also meet with the union executive to establish a return-to-work date. The agreement will cover a four-year term ending December 31, 2025.