Transit workers approve contract; strike avoided

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This article was published 08/12/2023 (671 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Transit workers averted a strike by voting to accept a deal with the city Friday.

Ahead of a Dec. 11 strike deadline, workers ratified a four-year contract that includes a 12.6 per cent general wage increase, improved mental-health resources, higher wages for red seal tradespeople, and up to four weeks of unpaid annual cultural or religious leave.

The workers had rejected two previous tentative offers.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 president Chris Scott said the new agreement represents “sufficient improvements” over the previous proposals, namely the wage increases.

The general wage increase of 12.6 per cent is compounded for all union members, and red seal trades will receive higher wages to put them in line with industry standards. They were being “grossly underpaid, in my opinion,” Scott said after results of the vote came in.

The deal increases workers’ weekend premium to $3.50 an hour, includes a signing bonus of $1,800 per worker, and sets out an additional $100,000 in annual funding for employees’ mental health resources. The unpaid cultural leave will help support a diverse workforce, Scott said.

“I’m happy that we were able to get to an agreement to improve the wages, improve a lot of the working conditions, secure some long-standing practices that go back decades, quite honestly, and secure them into the collective agreement. Now, honestly, the real work starts,” Scott said.

He explained that once the City of Winnipeg ratifies the deal, the union has to ensure that new provisions and promises set out in letters of understanding are effectively implemented.

Those issues include the ability to have a coworker cover a shift (currently provincial legislation requires overtime pay, taking away the ability to swap shifts) and improving the work environment for spare operators, who have to be on hand in case a driver calls in sick or if a bus breaks down.

They reached agreements on those issues in letters of understanding in the new contract, Scott said.

The vote from transit union membership was 58.3 per cent in favour of the new deal, which is within the range of membership support that past contracts have earned, Scott said.

The union represents 1,400 transit workers. Past deals have been ratified with anywhere from 51 per cent to as high as 64 per cent membership support.

The deal is an indication labour relations have improved, Scott said.

“I have not seen unity of my membership like I have during this round of bargaining. We stood strong, we advanced the goal line for labour.”

Transit workers began taking job action, including a ban on working overtime, in late November after rejecting a proposed offer from the city, leading to citywide warnings about bus delays. Those job actions were lifted by the union earlier this week in a show of good faith as members voted on the offer.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com