Transit Employees Ink Deal With City

Deal Described As Being Struck In Collaborative Manner

By Robert Thomas

The 18 Moose Jaw Transit employees in the Public Works and Utilities represented by UNIFOR Local 101R have a new deal with the City of Moose Jaw.

On Tuesday afternoon representatives of UNIFOR and Mayor Clive Tolley, representing the City of Moose Jaw, signed a new collective agreement.

Replacing the old agreement, which expired on December 31, 2022, employees will receive wage increases, as well as improved benefits.

The contract calls for a 1.8 percent wage increase effective January 1, 2023, as well as wage increases of 1.5 percent on January 1, 2024, and a wage increase of 2 percent on January 1, 2025. The new contract expires December 31, 2025.

Both sides were happy they were able to come to an agreement without any type of labour disruption calling the agreement good for the workers good for the city and good for the taxpayers.

New agreement with transit employees (left to right) TJ Karwandy, Director of Human Resources, Jim Wiens, UNIFOR rep, Mayor Clive Tolley, Jonathan Cornford, City Transit Driver, Corrine Gibbs, City Transit Driver, Maryse Carmichael, City Manager.

“Agreement means both parties agree,” Mayor Clive Tolley told the media, adding “it means we’ll have our transit drivers in place an agreement until 2025 which is a great thing for the community.”

Jim Wiens, local chair for UNIFOR Local 101R, said the negotiated deal is the best for employees, City and taxpayers.

“I think it’s a really strong agreement for both sides,” Wiens said after representing the employees since the 2012 agreement.

“It is just so refreshing to see two sides that are so willing to work together, so willing to put everything out there and come to agreement that is strong and helps both sides and it’s a really good agreement for the public as well,” Wiens said.

Asked by MJ Independent about how important it was to come to an agreement without the threat of labour or service disruptions Wiens said it all came down to the relationship between the union and the city.

“That’s a big part of our relationship over these number of years now that we’ve been able to build with the City. We really are bringing contract forward together,” he said.

Wiens commended the union members for knowing what they wanted out of the contract and working with the City to achieve it in respectful negotiations.

“They were clear what they needed out of an agreement and how it made it so much easier for both sides,” he said, adding it allowed negotiating to be “frank and open discussions and there wasn’t going to be a possibility of us going on strike.”

“Both sides knew what we needed.”

The collaborative negotiating spirit by both sides was commended by Mayor Tolley.

“I’m very happy. The two parties came together negotiate a contract. We have an agreement in place. I think that’s a very good thing for the City of Moose Jaw and everybody benefits by working together rather than opposing (each other) and ending up in arbitration or something like that,” he said.

“This is a really good sign for the Union and the City I believe.”

This is a second negotiated labour agreement between the City and its workers. The City inked a negotiated deal with firefighters last year after previous contract negotiations hit impasses and ended up in arbitration.

The Mayor said there will always be negotiations between the City and its employees, but he had seen “a marked improvement in relations between the unions and management since Mr. Karwandy started here… and of course the unions coming to the table with a positive attitude in working with us.”