---
title: "Arbitration panel awards 8,000 City of Ottawa workers 11.15 per cent raise over three years"
description: "CUPE 503's inside and outside workers will receive wage increases retroactive to January 2025 after an arbitration panel sided between the union's ask and the City's offer."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/ottawa-cupe503-arbitration-wage-award-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-14T15:57:49.037Z"
---

An arbitration panel has awarded nearly 8,000 City of Ottawa employees a 11.15 per cent wage increase over three years, retroactive to January 2025, Yahoo News Canada reported Friday.

The workers are members of CUPE Local 503's inside and outside bargaining unit, which covers more than 500 roles across City departments. Their contract with the City expired on December 31, 2024, leaving them without an agreement for more than ten months.

## What the panel decided

The panel set increases across a 2025 to 2027 contract: 3 per cent on January 1, 2025; 0.9 per cent on July 1, 2025; 3 per cent on January 1, 2026; 0.75 per cent on July 1, 2026; 3 per cent on January 1, 2027; and 0.5 per cent on July 1, 2027. The combined total is 11.15 per cent over the life of the contract.

The union had proposed 4.5 per cent annually. The City had proposed 3 per cent annually. The panel's award, at an average of 3.72 per cent per year, fell between the two positions. The panel found that the City's proposal would have given CUPE 503 workers smaller increases than other unionized City employee groups had already received, Yahoo News Canada reported.

## Who is covered

The inside and outside workers of CUPE Local 503 work across City of Ottawa departments: parks, public works, facilities, transit support and other services that residents use day to day. The 8,000 figure covers both bargaining units within the local.

## Budget impact

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe had said during the fall budget process that he aimed to hold property tax increases to 2.5 per cent. The arbitration decision adds a labour cost the City did not control. The City has not released a public statement on the fiscal impact of the award, and the retroactive pay from January 2025 adds a one-time cost on top of the ongoing wage increases.

The 2027 budget process, where the final year of this contract takes effect, will be the first full budget under the new council elected on October 26, 2026.

Ottawa residents can track council budget votes and council decisions through the [Ottawa promise tracker](/on/ottawa-2026/tracker).

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