On strike since May 3, school bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 106 ratify a new collective agreement.
LAVAL, QC, Sept. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - A union meeting took place today in Gatineau, Outaouais, where 100 school bus drivers, who are members of the Teamsters Local Union 106, ratified a 6-year collective agreement with Autobus Campeau at 93%. Autobus Campeau is responsible for transporting students within the city of Gatineau and the surrounding area.
On strike since May 3, these drivers will see a substantial increase in their wages to just over $26/hour, starting this coming Fall, which will be secured for future years thanks to an indexing clause.
François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, sees this resolution as more evidence that unions are the best bet for workers to get what they deserve: "The fight that these drivers have just won would have been an impossible battle if everybody had to act on their own. It's because of the power of solidarity, cooperation, and comraderie that they have finally been respected by their employer."
This agreement marks the end of the wave of Teamsters school bus drivers strikes that have affected Quebec over the last few months.
Denis Ouellette, the union representative responsible for negotiations in Outaouais, is relieved that hundreds of drivers have finally prevailed, but warns that many struggles are still on the horizon: "Today marks the end of a chapter, of a long fight that has resulted in rank-and-file members securing a solid deal. However, many contracts will need to be negotiated in the upcoming months, all over the province of Quebec, and let our message to these companies be clear: we will make sure that every Teamsters school bus driver in this province gets the wages and working conditions they deserve."
With over 125,000 members, Teamsters Canada is the country's largest transportation and supply chain union. It's also the largest union in the federally regulated private sector. The organization represents workers at CP, CN, UPS, Purolator, countless trucking companies, and more. They are affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents over 1.2 million workers in North America.
SOURCE Teamsters Canada
Marc-André Gauthier, Director of Communications, Teamsters Canada, Cell: 514-206-0492 | [email protected]
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