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Coast Mountain Bus Company workers approve contract with 11.5 per cent wage hike

Unionized workers at Coast Mountain Bus Company have ratified a new, four-year collective agreement.

The workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4500, voted “overwhelmingly” to accept the new contract that includes wage increases, benefit improvements and other provisions, the union said.

Members voted overwhelmingly to support the no-concessions agreement, reached on Jan. 28, at three separate meetings held on Feb. 10.

“After 14 months of hard work, we’ve reached an excellent agreement that we’re very happy with,” said CUPE 4500 president Neil Pepper. “It wasn’t easy, but we worked with this employer to find solutions that will make a big difference moving forward, both for our members and for the public we serve.”

What’s in the agreement?

The agreement includes an 11.5-per-cent wage increase over the life of the contract, a skilled trades adjustment in the first year, and retroactive pay back to Jan. 1, 2019.

Benefit improvements include provisions for eyeglasses and laser eye surgery in addition to routine eye exams, psychological counselling (doubled annually to $2,000), and increases for acupuncture and appointments with podiatrists and speech language pathologists. There are also improvements to bereavement and birth/adoption leave, and retiree life insurance doubles to $2,000 annually.

The agreement also calls for CUPE flags to be flown at all six Coast Mountain depots in the Lower Mainland.

CUPE 4500 represents approximately 190 frontline transit supervisors including communications supervisors, transit supervisors, and maintenance supervisors who work for Coast Mountain Bus Company.