Workers on the Canada Line have voted to approve their first collective agreement by an 87% vote in favour, the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) announced today.
This is the first collective agreement at ProTrans BC, the company operating the Canada Line.
About 180 BCGEU members work on the Canada Line, including control room operators, maintenance personnel and attendants.
The workers have been without a contract since the rapid transit line opened its doors to the public in August 2009.
In January 2011, ProTrans BC workers voted 95% in favour of strike action to back up their bargaining demands.
The terms of the three-year collective agreement are confidential, but it covers wages, pension, health benefits and occupational groupings. It also covers such areas as shift scheduling and overtime, and introduces a grievance procedure and a standard health and safety language for workers.
The BCGEU had recommended last week that members accept the proposal put forward by the labour relations board mediator.
“We are very pleased that our members who operate and maintain the popular Canada Line now have a fair contract in place,” said BCGEU president Darryl Walker. “This is a very solid first collective agreement for our members at ProTrans BC.”
“We look forward to working together with the employer in implementing the contract.”
The Canada Line is a 19-kilometre automated rail-based rapid transit system connecting downtown Vancouver with central Richmond and Vancouver International Airport.
Daily passenger levels are estimated at more than 100,000 people per day.