Thunder Bay council green lights transit contract

The head of the Amalgamated Transit Union in Thunder Bay says she feels relief now that bus drivers have a contract.

City councillors ratified the contract at their Monday night meeting.

Sheila Kivisto said bus drivers in Thunder Bay are now nearer the middle of the pay scale compared to other transit divisions in Ontario.

Earlier this year, the union said drivers were second from the bottom for wages.

Having a secure deal until 2017 is nice, Kivisto said.

"It's been a long go. Eighteen months, and now we have an actual contract,” she said.

“We don't have to go right into another contract, because it's got a little bit of breathing room in between."

Mayor Keith Hobbs said he was pleased the contract was settled.

"The wage settlement is fair and responsible and, at the same time, we believe [it] recognizes the special circumstances of the Thunder Bay Transit operators,” he said.

Kivisto said drivers will receive a 1.75 per cent wage increase.

The contract runs from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017. It involves roughly 140 workers, including transit drivers, mechanics, service crew and other staff.

Now that this group of transit drivers has finalized a deal, Kivisto said she can focus on specialized transit drivers.

Those drivers became city employees Jan. 1, after the city took over the HAGI bus service.

Negotiations for those workers will start in a few weeks.