Agreement includes wage increases, enhanced benefits
VIA Rail Canada and UNIFOR, the union that represents the 1,800 of 2,500 of VIA Rail employees who work in stations, customer service centres, maintenance centres and administrative offices, have voted to ratify a four-year labour agreement. The agreement was accepted by 80 per cent.
The negotiated benefits of the new collective agreement include enhanced benefits, improved contract language and wage increases in each year of the agreement, said Unifor. Wages will improve by two per cent retroactive to Jan. 1, 2016, and then by 2.5 per cent, 2.5 per cent and three per cent in the following years.
“Not only did we enhance wages and benefits, several work rules were addressed and improved," said Danny Andru, National Council 4000 secretary treasurer. "Moreover important items such as job sharing and mediation-arbitration were renewed."
The agreement “benefits all parties and allows us to continue to focus on the customer," said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, president and CEO of VIA Rail. "The increase in revenue and ridership we've seen in that last two years is the direct result of the positive collaboration and dedication of our employees to superior customer service."
"This agreement allows us to move forward with our many different projects and initiatives aimed at making VIA Rail service the greener, more human and smarter way to move people in Canada.”
