‘No disruption in service’: OC Transpo workers approve new 3-year contract

An OC Transpo bus rolls down a street in Ottawa.

OC Transpo drivers, mechanics and other frontline staff have approved a new three-year contract with the City of Ottawa.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279 announced Sunday its members voted to ratify the new contract. Council will be asked to finalize the agreement during an in-camera session on Sept. 24.

ATU Local 279 President Noah Vineberg says voting to accept the contract was not “an easy decision for our membership.”

“Many struggled with the reality that this deal falls short of closing the gap with industry standards, and that several key issues remain unresolved,” Vineberg said in a statement on the ATU 279 website.

“But in the end, our members once again demonstrated their deep sense of duty to the people of Ottawa. They refused to use the public as pawns in this process. Instead, they chose to put the safety, reliability, affordability, and quality of transit service ahead of their own interests—because that is what the residents of a capital city in the best nation in the world deserve.”

Vineberg adds that his members accepting the deal will ensure “there will be no disruption in service.”

In a memo to Council Sunday afternoon, City Solicitor Stuart Huxley confirmed ATU 279 voted in favour of the new three-year agreement.

“As such, the next step will be for city staff to present the agreement to City Council for Council’s consideration of ratification,” Huxley wrote.

“On behalf of the Labour Relations team, I am seeking to bring this agreement to Council’s attention for an in-camera session at its meeting of September 24, 2025, along with an update on other collective bargaining matters.”

The previous contract for OC Transpo workers was from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025. The new deal was reached on Aug. 30, the 21st day of bargaining between the city and the union.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was pleased OC Transpo employees approved the new deal.

“Our OC Transpo employees work hard every day to serve our community,” Sutcliffe said on X.

“This agreement means there will be no work stoppage and ensures we can continue to work together with our valued employees to build a better transit system for the residents of Ottawa.”

The labour peace at OC Transpo comes at an important time for the City of Ottawa, as it deals with a multi-million-dollar budget deficit and stagnant ridership coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OC Transpo is projecting a $46.6 million deficit this year due to lower fare revenue and no funding assistance from the upper levels of government. The 2026 budget directions ask staff to develop the OC Transpo budget with an increase in the transit levy between 3 and 15 per cent, along with a fare increase between 2.5 and 7.5 per cent.