2
Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018
New collective
agreement
for RTL
bus drivers
LONGUEUIL, Que. — At a
meeting on June 16, bus drivers
with the Réseau de transport de
Longueuil (RTL) in Quebec, rat-
ified a new collective agreement.
Workers voted 79 per cent in
favour of the tentative agree-
ment that the Canadian Union
of Public Employees (CUPE) and
the employer reached on June 5.
"This new collective agree-
ment is a major victory not only
for RTL drivers but also for all
members of the public in Lon-
gueuil," said Sylvie Champagne,
president of the Syndicat des
chauffeurs d'autobus du RTL,
CUPE 3333.
The five-year agreement cov-
ers the period from Jan. 1, 2017,
to Dec. 31, 2021, and calls for a
total wage increase of 11 per cent
spread over the life of the agree-
ment, said the union.
The highlights of the new
agreement include a series of
measures to simultaneously im-
prove trip times, customer ser-
vice and the working environ-
ment of about 750 drivers, said
CUPE.
About a year ago, RTL bus
drivers voted 98 per cent in fa-
vour of a strike, according to
CUPE.
Ontario
health-care
workers
sign contract
ST. THOMAS, Ont. — Health-
care professionals working for
Rehab Express/Closing the Gap
Healthcare in St. Thomas, Ont.,
reached an 11th-hour deal on
June 22 with the employer on a
new collective agreement.
The workers — members of
Ontario Public Service Employ-
ees Union (OPSEU), Local 152
— were in a legal strike or lock-
out position.
The workers had been with-
out a contract since March 31,
2017. They include a dietician, a
social worker, a speech and lan-
guage pathologist and a number
of physiotherapists and occupa-
tional therapists, according to
CUPE.
The principal bone of conten-
tion was wages. Closing the Gap
health professionals receive up
to 30 per cent less than other
Ontario health-care profession-
als doing the same work, said the
union.
The tentative agreement in-
cludes a 6.7 per cent increase,
effective April 1, 2018. The deal
also includes a process to deal
with ongoing issues, such as
workload, employment status,
vacation pay and statutory holi-
days, according to OPSEU.
Workers at
Grail Springs
Retreat
join UFCW
BANCROFT, Ont. — Work-
ers at Grail Springs Retreat in
Bancroft, Ont., voted to join the
United Food and Commercial
Workers, (UFCW) Canada, Lo-
cal 1006A on June 20.
"The workers showed tre-
mendous solidarity and courage
in coming together to achieve
union representation," said Les-
ley Prince, UFCW Canada, Lo-
cal 1006A's organizing depart-
ment coordinator.
The 20 employees at Grail
Springs Retreat work as servers,
kitchen staff, housekeepers and
guest service representatives.
UFCW Canada, Local 1006A
represents 36,000 members
across Ontario, said the union.
LABOUR BRIEFS
FORMERLY CLV REPORTS
Serving labour relations professionals
since 1956
www.labour-reporter.com
Published weekly by omson Reuters
Canada Ltd.
Subscription rate: $610 per year
Customer Service
Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto)
(800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto)
Fax: (416) 298-5106
Email:
customersupport.legaltaxcanada@tr.com
Website: www.thomsonreuters.ca
Director, Media Solutions, Canada
Karen Lorimer
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Todd Humber
Editor/Supervisor
Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896
sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com
News Editor
John Dujay | (416) 298-5129
john.dujay@thomsonreuters.com
Sales Manager
Paul Burton | (416) 649-9928
paul.burton@thomsonreuters.com
Marketing Co-ordinator
Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585
keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com
© 2018 omson Reuters Canada Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise
without the written permission of the
publisher.
e publisher is not engaged in rendering
legal, accounting or other professional
advice. If legal or other expert assistance is
required, the services of a competent
professional should be sought. e analysis
contained herein represents the opinion of
the authors and should in no way be
construed as being either offi cial or
unoffi cial policy of any governmental body.
ISSN 0045-5113
Publications Registration 2089
Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the
Canadian HR Reporter group of publications.
Visit www.hrreporter.com for more
information.
Labour Reporter
Canadian
www.labour-reporter.com
LABOUR LENS
A man walks outside Retiro train terminal during a 24-hour national strike in Buenos Aires, on June 25.
Photo:
REUTERS/Martin
Acosta
