The Flexibility of Maths

In the latest OPSEU bargaining bulletin #9 OPSEU indicates the increase would be 3.25% however it is painting the most negative picture possible. Mathematically, one needs to consider _all_ the increases. You just can't add up the increases in year 2 and 3 and say it's only 3.25 over three years. Well, you can, and that's what you'll get but it's not very accurate.

The increase would be more like 4.78%, or if you want to use a bleaker and somewhat false number then 3.28%, but not 3.25% as the bulletin states.

For example:

Using a ten dollar hourly wage, times 70 hours times 26 weeks = 18,200 per year

Year 1 of a new contract you would not get an hourly wage increase. Instead you would get a lump sum of 1.5 %
or $273 for a yearly income of $18,473 : an increase of $273

In year 2 you would get a 1.5% wage increase. You are now making 10.15 per hour.
times 70 times 26 =18.,473 : an increase of $273

In year 3 you would get a 1.75% wage increase. You are now making 10.327625 per hour.
times 70 times 26 = 18,796.277500 : an increase of 323.2775

Total increase = 869.2775 That, as a percent of your pre-contract yearly income, is a 4.776250% increase over the three years.

Even if you ignore the lump sum, your increase is 596.2775, a 3.276250% increase

Neither is close to 3.25%, at least not mathematically.