City Council and ATU 279 ratify collective agreement

_ (via City of Ottawa) _ Ottawa City Council and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279 have ratified a four-year collective agreement.

City Council voted in favour of the ATU Local 279 contract, which represents over 2,200 employees of OC Transpo including bus operators, Fleet Maintenance staff, Facility Maintenance, and Transit Safety and Enforcement Services staff.

The new four-year contract extends the current labour relations stability in OC Transpo to 2020, which will facilitate the implementation of the Confederation Line. The contract agreement includes a 2 per cent economic increase for the first three years of the collective agreement with a 2.25 per cent increase in the last year of the contract.

“I’m very pleased that City Council and ATU 279 reached an agreement that will benefit all parties. This is a good deal for employees, passengers and taxpayers,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “The fact that we were able to reach a deal prior to the expiry of the current contract demonstrates our City’s positive relationship with our union partners.”

“With 340,000 network-wide daily customer trips, it’s clear that OC Transpo plays a vital role in moving residents throughout our nation’s capital,” said Councillor Stephen Blais, Chair of the Transit Commission. “There has been a lot of time and effort put forward by ATU 279 union members and OC Transpo staff to reach a deal that works for all those involved and supports the future of Light Rail Operations.”

“I am pleased with the membership’s decision to ratify our collective agreement,” said Clint Crabtree, President of ATU Local 279. “The members expressed their needs and wants which is what the negotiating team focused on. ATU Local 279’s priority is its members and we will continue to work hard to meet their expectations.”

The City and ATU 279 have been in negotiations since December 2015. The current contract was to expire on March 31, 2016.