CALGARY, Alberta - Third time was the charm for members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1374, which ratified a new, four-year labor contract with Greyhound Canada Transportation Corp.
Twice the union rejected contract offers from Greyhound Canada but on the third vote last month they approved the proposal.
The ATU represents 1,423 active Greyhound employees and Greyhound Courier Express owner/operators in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario.
The contract goes into effect immediately and is retroactive to Jan. 1, meaning employees will be getting a bonus check.
Greyhound said the agreement allows the company to focus all its energies on the business: passenger service, charters and courier express, and to respond to the needs of drivers, maintenance, terminal and technical employees and owner/operators.
"We wish to thank the membership for their support and the negotiating committees for their hard work," said Len Munter, president and business agent of ATU 1374. "Without either, we could not have ratified this contract."
Added Greyhound Senior Vice President Dave Leach: "Greyhound and ATU leadership have worked hard over the past year to come to the agreement. We are pleased with the results of the membership vote."
Three principal groups of employees are impacted by the agreement - drivers, terminal employees and maintenance workers. Drivers get a 1 percent raise this year and next, and 2 percent raises in years three and four. The top rate today for drivers is 6 to 6.42 cents (Canadian) per mile.
For terminal employees, the increases are 2 percent this year and next, and 3 percent raises in years three and four. The top hourly rate for a ticket clerk today is $16.85 (Canadian).
For maintenance employees, the raises are bigger. Mechanics get a 3.5 percent raise this year, 2 percent in years two and three, and 3.5 percent in year four. The top hourly rate for a maintenance technician today is $22.34 (Canadian).
One of the proposals rejected by drivers called for no salary gain this year and a 1 percent increase in 2004, and 2 percent in both 2005 and 2006.