GO Transit workers ratify new deal with Metrolinx

GO Transit workers have ratified a new deal with Metrolinx.

The deal was accepted by 77 per cent of the 2,200 workers – including bus drivers, station attendants and fare inspectors – who went on strike for four days back on Nov. 7 after a previous deal was rejected by over 80 per cent of workers.

While the new deal caps wage increases at one per cent due to Bill 124, union officials say it addresses their safety concerns and contracting out issues, key among them a provision for job security for all workers at Metrolinx’s Willowbrook rail facility. The facility was slated to be taken over by a private firm as part of the public-private partnership as part of GO Transit’s expansion project.

“Our members proved that they were willing to go to the mat to protect good union jobs for themselves and future generations of GO Transit workers,” said union local president Rob Cormier.

“We are hopeful that in future rounds of contract negotiations, Metrolinx will no longer stall for months and will instead negotiate a fair deal because it’s the right thing to do, instead of needing to be forced through a massive labour stoppage that disrupts commutes for tens of thousands of Ontarians.”