SGEU members at Livestock Services of Saskatchewan (LSS) have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a new five-year collective agreement.

As LSS was formerly part of SGEU’s PS/GE bargaining unit, this is the first agreement to cover LSS as a standalone agency. SGEU is pleased that negotiations with management were cooperative and productive.

“Both sides came to the table in a spirit of mutual respect, bargained in good faith, and reached a deal we can all be satisfied with,” said Debbie Fennig, chair of SGEU’s LSS bargaining committee. “This sets an excellent precedent for future rounds of negotiations.”

The new agreement covers the period October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2021, and includes annual wage increases of 0%, 0%, 1%, 1% and 2%. Members will receive back pay for wage increases retroactive to October 2018 and October 2019.

The agreement also includes a 1% increase in pension contributions, effective October 2019, which will bring employer and member contributions to 8.6% – close to the 9% maximum contribution rate. It also includes increases to meal and mileage reimbursement rates.

Both SGEU members and LSS managers will join the SGEU Health and Welfare trust, which provides extended health and dental benefits.

SGEU represents about 75 members at LSS. These livestock inspectors and administrative staff deliver brand inspection services, manage the province’s brand registry, and license livestock dealers.