Workers at SaskTel, the provincial Crown corporation that provides telecommunications services, have a new contract that provides for wage increases amounting to 4.5 per cent over three years.

SaskTel announced Thursday that members of Unifor had voted in favour of the new collective agreement.



"We're pleased that the members of Unifor have ratified this agreement," Ron Styles, president of SaskTel, said in a news release. "This new three-year agreement, allows us to continue to work with Unifor to focus on operating successfully in this ever changing and very competitive industry."

According to SaskTel, the new agreement will be for a three-year term ending March 16, 2019.

It includes:

Retroactive to Mar. 13, 2016: Pay increase (all hourly rates) of 1.75 per cent.

Effective Mar. 19, 2017: Pay increase of 1.65 per cent.

Effective Mar. 18, 2018: Pay increase of 1.20 per cent.

There were also increases made to the contributions to the pension plan that is provided to workers. As of Mar. 13, 2016, SaskTel will contribute 7.45 per cent of wages to the plan and employees will contribute 4.45 per cent of their pay to the plan. (SaskTel did not provide details on the previous contribution rates).

According to its website, SaskTel employs about 4,000 people.