After more than four months, a school bus strike in Montreal, involving some 350 drivers, has come to an end.
In a news release Thursday, the CSN union representing the Autobus Transco drivers said members voted 69.4 per cent in favour of a proposed settlement put forth by a conciliator.
The unlimited general strike began on Oct. 31, 2023, leaving the parents of some 15,000 students, scrambling to get their children to and from school every day.
The main stick point during negotiations was related to remuneration.
The new six-year contract includes a 43 per cent pay increase, retroactive to July 1, 2022.
“During this period, we will therefore go from the current weekly salary of $634 to $907 on July 1, 2027,” said Carole Laplante, president of the STTT–CSN union.
A spokesperson for the Lester B. Pearson School Board told Global News in an email that the development was “positive.”
Other affected school boards include the English Montreal School Board, Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, and the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys.
The hope is that buses will be back on the road next week when kids return from spring break.
Transco spokesperson Claude Breton said that should be the case for “most routes” as of Monday morning.
He warned, however, of possible issues on some routes.
“Parents should wait to hear from their school board (to know) whether theirs is operational.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
