N.B. school bus drivers, custodians get wage increase in new collective agreement

The emergency door of a school bus in an undated photo.

Thousands of workers in New Brunswick school districts have agreed to a new collective agreement that will increase their wages by $5 per hour over four years.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1253, which represents more than 3,300 workers, signed the new agreement with the New Brunswick government, according to a news release. Both parties tentatively agreed to the deal in May.

CUPE Local 1253 includes school bus drivers, maintenance workers and custodians.

The wage increase, which is retroactive to April 1, 2024, will boost hourly wages by $1 in the first year, $1.10 in the second year, $1.30 in the third year and $1.60 in the fourth year, according to the release.

The new collective agreement also allows for increases to various allowances, an increase to on-call premiums for weekends and holidays and an adjustment to weekend and split-shift premiums.

There is a new bus driver classification that will let districts hire permanent drivers and assign them by geographic location. This move is meant to reduce the number of route cancellations due to driver absenteeism.

“We rely on these employees to keep our education system running smoothly each and every day, whether they are transporting students or keeping the schools clean and in good working order,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy in the release. “I want to thank the negotiators on both sides who worked diligently to reach a fair and well-deserved deal.”

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