Edmonton transit workers get 3% raise a year after reaching agreement with city

The city has finalized a new collective agreement with transit workers that will see them get a 12 per cent raise over four years.

After nearly a year of negotiating, the City of Edmonton has finalized a new collective bargaining agreement with transit workers.

Workers who are part of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 569 will receive a three-per-cent raise each year until Dec. 11, 2027. The previous agreement ended on Dec. 31, 2023, meaning workers will get retroactive pay.

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“We are pleased to finally have a ratified collective agreement,” said ATU 569 president Steve Bradshaw in a statement Wednesday. “Though not all of our objectives were achieved, this outcome sets us on a path to continue working towards achieving those pending objectives in future rounds of bargaining.”

Bradshaw said collective bargaining is a complicated practice at the best of times – and this round was no different.

“It is to everyone’s credit that we come away from the table, not only with a new collective agreement in place, but also with our collaborative working relationship intact.”

The agreement also includes increased shift differential pay, increased footwear allowances and increased enhancement to health benefits.

There are over 2,500 transit workers in the city including bus drivers, maintenance personnel and other transit employees.

“These are difficult jobs, they have been difficult jobs for a while,” said Ward pihêsiwin Coun. Tim Cartmell. “I think it’s a reasonable and fair deal.”

Cartmell, who is also running for mayor, said council heard workers were also feeling financial pressures with COVID-19 inflation.

Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette said increased safety measures that were voted on by council earlier this summer will increase safety for transit workers, something that has been top of mind, especially for those working downtown.

“We’ve had infinite incidents and we’ve had people feeling unsafe,” said Paquette. “We’ve been through a really dark time post-COVID, I think everyone can recognize that.”

“These are good moves and I think we have turned the corner on the dark times of COVID.”

The city and the ATU began negotiations on Aug. 14, 2024.