By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

Montreal parents and students are getting a long-awaited reprieve after nearly 70% of the Transco-CSN Workers union voted to accept a settlement proposed by a conciliator. The strike had affected many schools boards including the English Montreal and the Pearson.

In a secret vote, 69.4% of members approved the settlement which contains total increases of 43% over the duration of the new collective agreement of six years and retroactive to July 1, 2022. During this period, weekly salaries will rise from $634 to $907 on July 1, 2027. Drivers also obtained an increase in the scale of their vacation pay which will reach 10% after 15 years of service as well as a sixth day of sick leave in 2025.

The STTT-CSN has nearly 350 members responsible for as many school transportation routes, and threw school and family schedules into chaos for many. “Standing up and keeping your head held high between parents, their children and the cavalier and intransigent attitude of their employer has not been easy,” said CSN president Caroline Senneville, a sentiment echoed by interim president of the Federation of Public Service Employees Stéphanie Gratton. “We salute the exemplary struggle led by the union workers who stood up to a multinational for a little over four months in order to obtain these improvements to their working conditions. All other carriers will have to take into account the effect of these gains on the job market and that too, the union can be proud of.” n