Union accepts agreement in Ontario's York Region transit strike

New contract awarded to second group, third group continues negotiations

One union in the York Region Transit strike has accepted a tentative deal reached with its employer, Veolia Transportation. earlier this week.

Service should be running again by Feb. 4, according to Veolia.

About 225 members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113 have approved the deal by 77 per cent. Veolia employees operate the region’s Viva bus service.

The new four-year agreement includes a wage increase of 10.8 per cent and a "significant increase in the employer-paid portion of the health care benefits package," as well as additional paid sick days, according to an ATU press release.

"The improvements in the benefits premium payments alone, relative to the offer that was rejected earlier this month, will be worth thousands of dollars to our members over the course of this contract," said ATU Local 113 president Bob Kinnear.

Veolia hasn't commented on the deal.

ATU Local 1587 is still negotiating with another management company, Miller Transit. About 250 of their workers have also been on strike since Oct. 24, 2011 and rejected the company’s last deal on Jan. 6.

UPDATE: Union reaches tentative agreement with Miller Transit

The third company involved in the dispute, First Canada, had its contract terminated by York Region on Jan 16.

The region announced on Jan. 26 it hired TOK Transit Ltd. to take over the contract, which is reportedly worth $46 million over the next four years.

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