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Unifor school bus drivers ratify new collective agreement with First Student

 

WHITBY– Unifor school bus drivers have voted overwhelmingly in support of a new collective agreement with First Student, with 91% in favour.

“Several of the drivers’ concerns were addressed in this new collective agreement, including wages, paid sick days and improvements to personal leave,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi. “School bus drivers bear tremendous responsibility and Unifor will continue to work to raise standards in this industry to reflect that.”

The new three-year collective agreement covers approximately 205 Unifor Local 4268 school bus drivers who provide services in the eastern Greater Toronto Area and Durham Region for DSTS Durham Student Transportation Services, TSTG Toronto Student Transportation Group and other customers.

This new collective agreement includes a 13% raise on basic Home-to-School wages, personal paid leave provisions, an increased health care spending account, improvements on a Woman’s Advocate role, improved posting and bumping provisions, and includes more comprehensive union representative language.

“The Bargaining Committee worked to improve conditions for our school bus driver members in this new agreement to ensure that they are compensated accordingly for their time and duties,” said Unifor Local 4268 President Debbie Montgomery. “Achieving solid collective agreements is the foundation to build on to fix systemic problems across the school bus sector, including recruitment and retention issues.

The contract is backdated to December 8, 2021 and will expire on December 7, 2024.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

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Unifor members ratify new contract at Oakville Transit

 

OAKVILLE—Wage increases and job security are the highlights of the new collective agreement ratified today by Unifor Local 1256 members, ending their two-week strike at Oakville Transit.

“My congratulations to Oakville transit workers for standing up to the employer to win gains that will improve working conditions and benefits,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.

Transit service in the region will resume on Friday, March 4, 2022.

The new agreement includes a 2% wage increase in each of the three years of the contract. Local 1256 was successful in converting 27 positions to full-time status and increasing benefits coverage and expanding mental health coverage in the plan.

“These are no small gains. The new collective agreement is a terrific example that solidarity and collective action gets results,” said Alice Kelly, President of Unifor Local 1256.

Local 1256 members at Oakville Transit began legal strike action on February 17, 2022. The union represents 179 transit operators and maintenance staff.

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Contract negotiations begin for 4,200 Bell clerical workers in Ontario, Quebec – Feb 16 2022

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Contract negotiations begin for 4,200 Bell clerical workers in Ontario, Quebec

Bell clerical bargaining caucus.

 

TORONTO- Unifor members at Bell Canada opened negotiations with a united front and a demand to protect good jobs in the telecommunications industry.

“Our message in this year’s negotiations is simple. Telecommunications is a vital part of Canada’s economy, and Bell has a responsibility to deliver not only well paid, good jobs but also to maintain domestic capacity in this sector,” said Chris MacDonald, Unifor Assistant to the National President.

Members are seeking improvements to their wages and a stop to Bell’s concerted strategy of job erosion through processes like offshoring and contracting out. Clerical workers also are prioritizing mental health supports and prevention of workplace stress in this round of negotiations.

“We’re ready to achieve some major gains in these negotiations, with Bell posting record profits, and with a membership that demonstrated in the previous round of negotiations just what it looks like to be united and bold in their mobilisations,” said Renaud Gagné, Unifor Quebec Director.

Negotiations began with the union and the employer exchanging proposals on Tuesday, February 15. Talks are currently scheduled to continue next week, and typically take several weeks to conclude.

The previous collective agreement expired on November 30, 2021.

Bargaining will commence in the coming weeks for more than 15,000 members including Atlantic and Clerical workers as well as our fellow members at BTS.

Bell clerical workers are represented in Quebec by Unifor Locals 6000, 6001, 6002 and 6003, and in Ontario by Unifor Locals 6004, 6005, 6006, 6007, 6008 and 37. All locals are represented in the bargaining caucus.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

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Statement on International Women’s Day

Five female silhouettes with the text "Women are unstoppable."

International Women’s Day 2022 is an opportunity for working-class women to celebrate and reflect on our accomplishments as well as gather strength for the fights that lay ahead.

For more than 100 years, women in the labour movement across the globe have marked March 8 by celebrating collective achievements and recommitting to the fight for gender equality.

Although 2022 finds us still solidly in the pandemic, it also marks a year that brings many wins for women in our union to celebrate. Gains like pay equity and child care – that women have been fighting to achieve for decades – have passed into federal legislation and are now within reach for a new generation. These wins cannot be understated and can inspire us all to aim even higher.

A better world is possible!

In every workplace and community across Canada, there remains important work to be done to end racism and violence against women and girls. It will require a determined focus to bring these significant gains to the lives of working-class women.

As the pandemic continues, so does the inequity that has disproportionately impacted women. Women of colour, Indigenous women, queer and trans women, and women living with disabilities have been affected in ways that further deepened the gaps they experience every day. Building back better must be achieved through this lens of inclusion.

Our work together continues to advance equity in all of our workplaces and communities, despite the real pressures women are facing at home and at work.

We continue to prove in the most challenging times that Sisters in Unifor are indeed unstoppable.

This last year has shown Unifor:

In 2022, women need real progress toward gender justice and that means celebrating our historical wins while continuing to fight together toward equality. This year we recognize the work of so many women in our union and our collective determination to deliver significant improvements to our everyday lives.

Together, we are unstoppable.

Download this statement from our website.