A lot of the pay grids on this site are marked expired, and that surprises people. It sounds like something has lapsed. Nothing has. An expired agreement is the normal state for police and fire in Ontario, and it changes nothing about what you get paid this Friday.
The old terms keep applying
Once notice to bargain has been given, the terms of the expired agreement continue to apply while a new one is negotiated. Your rate, your premiums and your progression all stay exactly as they were. That is why the figures on an expired grid here are still the right figures for today: they are what is on your stub.
Police and firefighters do not strike, they arbitrate
For most workers the freeze ends once the union is in a legal strike position. Police and firefighters never get there, because they are outside the ordinary strike framework and their rounds are settled by binding interest arbitration instead. That is also why these rounds run long. One to three years past expiry is ordinary, not a sign anything has gone wrong.
The award is normally backdated
When the new agreement or the arbitration award finally lands, the increases are usually retroactive to the day after the old one expired. Two things arrive at once: a lump sum covering the gap, and a new higher base rate going forward.
Why a lender treats those two halves differently
- The new base rate is recurring income. It is the number a lender should be qualifying you on once it is confirmed in writing.
- The retroactive lump sum is not recurring. It is one payment covering past years, and presenting it as annual income overstates what you earn.
- The lump sum is still useful. It is provable money for a down payment or to clear debt before an application.
- Timing decides which rate applies. A file that closes before the award is assessed on the old rate; one that closes after can use the new one once there is a letter confirming it.
What to do about it
If your round is in arbitration and you are buying or renewing, say so early. It changes which lender the file goes to and sometimes it is worth waiting a few weeks for the award and the employer letter that follows it. If you have already had a retro payment, keep the statement, because it is the cleanest proof of the new rate.
If your grid on this site is marked expired and you want to know where your round actually stands, ask us. We check the filings.
Sources
Your next useful step
Bring the employer, agreement and recent pay. We will work from the document instead of guessing at the income.
