In a recent decision by Interest Arbitrator Jesse Kugler, our office achieved a substantial win for CUPE 503 members working at Embassy West Senior Living, a retirement residence in Ottawa. Normally, the wages for retirement homes would be driven by other unionized comparators in the retirement sector, but Samantha Lamb successfully argued that, due to the higher level of hospital level care provided by Embassy West to its residents, particularly elderly residents from Nunavut, the appropriate comparators were other higher paid unionized long-term care (LTC) homes.
Arbitrator Kugler agreed with our arguments and ordered that the personal support workers (PSWs) were therefore entitled to the $3 per hour permanent wage enhancement received by other PSWs working in the LTC sector, notwithstanding that Embassy West is not receiving Ontario LTC funding. In addition, Arbitrator Kugler ordered a $0.50 wage adjustment for registered practical nurses, clinical nurses and housekeeping/laundry and 3.5% wage increases for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 as well as the introduction of the Nursing Homes and Related Industries Pension Plan, benefit improvements and increases to the shift and weekend premiums. A copy of the decision can be found here: CUPE 503 v Embassy West, 2026 CanLII 32985 (ON LA) https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onla/doc/2026/2026canlii32985/2026canlii32985.html.
