City's transit drivers accept new contract

Posted By NICKI CRUICKSHANK

Posted 24 days ago

Barrie's city buses will keep rolling along their routes as usual, now that drivers have accepted a new work contract.

Officials at First Canada, the transit driver company contracted by the City of Barrie to operate its buses, said an agreement was reached by the company and the drivers Monday afternoon.

"Voting was held (Sunday) and (yesterday), and I'm happy to report that we have ratified the situation," said Fred Thompson, First Canada's general manager. "The deal was reached shortly after the noon hour. Now, it's business as usual here and we're moving ahead."

First Canada's drivers had been without a contract since the spring, and the company had been at the bargaining table with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represents the 100-plus drivers, ever since.

"We'd been working with the ATU for some time on this, and both sides have worked very hard to reach an agreement," Thompson said. "It's a multi-year contract and we both feel it's a fair and reasonable settlement."

Thompson said the contract is effective immediately, and drivers will continue with their duties as they have been all this time.

"It's a good news story all around," he said.

George Kaveckas, the city's manager of transit, couldn't agree more.

"We're very pleased that both parties could come to an agreement without any service disruption to the public," he said.

ncruickshank@thebarrieexaminer.com