Montreal school transportation workers secure new contract

Workers at Autobus La Montréalaise’s Montreal division have successfully secured a new five-year employment contract, bringing significant wage increases and improved working conditions for school transportation employees.

The new agreement, which covers both regular bus drivers and minibus operators, outlines a 20 to 21per cent wage increase upon signing, depending on the type of vehicle driven. In addition to this, employees will receive a lump sum payment and an increase in several bonuses. The hourly wage for regular bus drivers will rise by $4 per hour, while minibuses drivers will see a three dollars and $0.66 per hour increase.

The wage increases will be retroactive to July 1, 2023, and the contract includes provisions to apply the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for School Service Centres to salary increases over the past three years. The deal also includes a 30 per cent increase in compensation for charter trips.

Notably, the agreement creates regular positions, addressing issues of precarious work and offering greater stability for employees.

“It should also be noted that regular positions have been created, which will lift many employees out of precariousness,” said Carole Laplante, president of the school transportation sector of the Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN).

The successful agreement marks a significant win for the workers they claim, who have long fought for better compensation and working conditions.

“The workers of this union have obtained a completely justified improvement in their working conditions. They join thousands of school transportation employees who, thanks to their mobilization, have contributed to improving their standard of living in a sector that has long lacked recognition,” added Josée Dubé, Vice-President of the FEESP-CSN.

Union leaders expressed their pride in the workers’ perseverance and the outcome of their efforts.

“We are very pleased to have supported these workers who are doing hard work every morning as thousands of students have to commute to their places of learning. The mobilization of these drivers has borne fruit and the members can be proud to have achieved such gains,” said Dominique Daigneault, President of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain-CSN.

The contract also highlights a broader concern within the sector: the need for wage increases to address the ongoing challenges of service disruptions and staff shortages.

“The CSN is very proud to have supported the struggle of these women and men who mobilized to get their due. Each gain in school transportation contributes to an overall increase in wages in this sector. We sincerely hope that these increases will eventually put an end to the many service breakdowns resulting from the low wages offered to school bus drivers for years,” concluded Caroline Senneville, President of the CSN.