Montreal families have the right to quality school transportation: Autobus Transco denounces unrealistic salary demands, the refusal to go to arbitration and the disinformation campaign led by the CSN

MONTREAL, Jan. 11, 2024 /CNW/ - Since October 31, 2023, school bus drivers serving more than 15,000 children on the island of Montreal have been on strike, these circumstances have prevented safe transportation to students and their families who attend the Lester-B.-Pearson School Board, the English Montreal School Board, the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys and Collège Sainte-Anne. Throughout the negotiation process, the Transco–CSN Workers' Union has continuously made unreasonable demands which would not be viable to any school bus operator in the province of Quebec.

Instead of coming to the bargaining table with realistic proposals, the Union has decided to recently engage in a campaign of misinformation. We would like to correct some of the arguments made by the CSN.

Negotiations at a standstill

• For 10 weeks now, the Transco–CSN Workers' Union has been formulating wage demands that are significantly higher than what CSN referred to in its media interviews, when talking about other collective agreements signed in school transportation in Quebec or talking of new fundings granted by the government in 2022. The Union's demands would make it impossible for the company to carry out daily operations. Autobus Transco originally proposed a substantial salary increase. Given that the Union continues to make unreasonable and unrealistic demands, in an interest to resolve the outstanding issues and get students back to school safely, this week Transco offered third-party arbitration to the Union. This would allow an independent adjudicator to resolve all outstanding issues and ensure that students can get back to school safely and their families can resume their normal routines and schedules. Bus service could then resume, allowing drivers and their families to benefit immediately from the financially meaningful wage increases. Instead of allowing a neutral adjudicator to move forward immediately to resolve this strike, the Union rejected our offer of third-party arbitration. This action by the union ensures students continue to be prohibited from getting to school safely and creates continued challenges for the family members of the children, who are having to alter their schedules and commitments because of these lost opportunities created by the Union.

Some of the best paid hourly drivers in town

• Transco drivers play an important role in the lives of students, their families, providing access to education in the province. We fully recognize this, which is why Transco drivers have always been the highest paid on the island of Montreal and will continue to be well above their peers working at competitors with the offer we made during bargaining. Considering all operators receive the same contracts, Autobus Transco is offering even more of the money received by the government than other local providers.

Contract negotiations in 2022

• The Union has made incorrect statements regarding Government aid that was provided to all school bus operators in 2022. All school bus operators negotiated new contracts for service for the next six years. The funds consisted of an increase to the base rate and a non-indexed balancing rate. Greater Montreal also received a non-indexed increase amount to help offset the higher cost of real estate, insurance and other fixed costs that are higher in the Greater Montreal region. The base rate increase and the non-indexed balancing rate were meant to balance contracts and provide a consistent model for all operators. This equilibrium provided companies like Transco with the opportunity to provide consistent wages to all employees, many of which are represented by CSN who have accepted their new collective agreements in the last year. The Union's claim that members should have received all the governmental funds is once again unrealistic and misleading.

Autobus Transco understands how hard this is on the children, families, and community, which is why we have been at the bargaining table since day one, actively searching for solutions. Our latest proposition is a testament to our willingness, commitment, and continued efforts to see drivers get back to work and ensure the same great service parents are accustomed to receiving from Transco. If the Union is serious about transporting students back to school and not abdicating these community and family necessities, we call on them to accept third-party arbitration and end this needless strike action.

About Autobus Transco/First Student, Inc.

As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, Autobus Transco/First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry's strongest safety record, Autobus Transco/First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 46,600 buses. For more information, visit autobustransco.ca.

SOURCE Autobus Transco/First Student, Inc.

Claude Breton, [email protected]