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PRESCOTT, ONT.—The members at Unifor Local 4266 who work at First Student bus in Prescott, Ont., near Kingston, have unanimously voted for their first contract.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee for its work in this milestone contract,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“We also thank our members’ commitment and trust in Unifor when it came to fighting for their most important rights. School bus drivers are vital and essential and should be compensated accordingly. They have a huge responsibility to ensure children get to and from school safely."
The members voted for the contract on May 29.
The unit is comprised of 28 members, who are mostly drivers, with technicians, dispatchers, apprentices, and yard hands composing the rest of the unit.
The biggest gains in the contract are wages, paid sick leave, and language protecting seniority and rights. The contract sees a wage increase of greater than 15% over the three-year contract, three paid sick days, and increases to Skilled Trades and apprentices.
The bargaining committee also negotiated domestic violence protection, Women’s Advocate and Racial Justice Advocate positions and Paid Education Leave.
“We are proud of this first agreement, which contains language and protection found in more mature agreements,” said Local 4266 President André Desjardins.
“The most difficult part in bargaining for school bus drivers is the lack of funding from the province, but we will continue to stand up for our members.”
Unifor represents 20,000 members across the road transportation sector, with over 2,000 school bus drivers.
