Grande Prairie bus drivers get 13% raise

Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the December 2024 Bargaining Update.

This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In December, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 24 private sector and 10 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 2,429 and 3,797 workers respectively.

Among those settlements was a contract for about 20 workers employed by the Peace Wapiti School Division, which oversees schools in Beaverlodge, Bezanson, Bonanza, Clairmont, Crooked Creek, Eaglesham, Elmworth, Grande Prairie, Grovedale, Hythe, La Glace, Rycroft, Sexsmith, Silver Valley, Spirit River, and Wembley.

These workers include bus drivers employed by the school division, and they’re represented by Local 362 of the General Teamsters.

The previous contract for these workers expired in August 2024. The new contract was settled in October 2024, 2 months later.

In the new collective agreement, the workers are set to receive wage increases in every year of the 4-year contract. Wages will start with a 3% market adjustment increase followed by these annual increases.

1 September 2024	3.00%
1 September 2025	3.00%
1 September 2026	2.00%
1 September 2027	2.00%

This amounts to a combined increase of 13%, or an annual average increase of 3.25%.

And while 3% might seem like a lot, let’s not get too excited just yet. Check out what wage increases looked like over the previous collective agreement:

1 September 2021	0.00%
1 September 2022	0.00%
1 June 2023	1.25%
1 February 2024	1.50%

So, between 1 September 2020, their last raise prior to these contracts, and 1 September 2024, they received wage freezes in 2 of those 4 years followed by 2.75% in wage increases.

Now let’s compare these to inflation.

The consumer price index in Alberta sat at 145.0 in September 2020, and it increased 24.2 points to 169.2 by September 2024. That’s an increase of 16.69%.

Since these workers got an increase of 2.75% over a 4-year period but inflation was 16.69% during the same period, they’re left with a cut to real wages of 13.94%.

And they’re scheduled to get just 12% over the next 4 years, which will still leave them with a real wage cut of 0.94%, which is pretty close. However, that’s not even factoring inflation this year, next year, and the final year of the contract, which will most assuredly increase, bringing real wages down even more.

While an increase of 13% might seem like a lot, these workers will have less purchasing power than they did 4 years ago despite technically making more money now.

These workers should’ve received at least 14% in just the first year of the new contract to make up for lost wages and then additional increases for future inflation.

What they did get is better than 4 years of wage freezes, but it still leaves them behind economically.

By the end of the new contract, the base salary for these workers will be less than $15,000 per year.

Now let’s review some of the changes in this new contract.

The probationary period for new workers has been reduced from 180 driving days toe 135 driving days.

The following clause has been added to the section on disciplinary procedure:

When the company is investigating an incident that may lead to discipline, and/or issuing discipline to an employee, the company will advise the employee of their right to union representation prior to those discussions taking place. Given remove considerations, representation, unless declined by the employee by direct communication with a union shop steward or business agent, may be provided by phone.

The long-service premium, which is available to workers who have been with the school division for at least 4 years, was increased by 30% for the start of the contract then increases in line with the scheduled increases to the base salary.

There will also be increases to the following that follow the base salary increases:

• Inter-school program trips
• Trios to assist
• Transfers
• Driving time
• Teaching/training
• Wheelchair handling

Route mileage that is paid out to the drivers received a 25% market adjustment at the start of the contract, followed by annual increases that mirror the base salary increases. By the end of the contract, drivers will receiver 33.6¢ per kilometre, up from 24.3¢ at the end of the previous contract.

Under the previous contract, workers received 8% in vacation pay. This has been changed into a 3-tier structure:

Years of service	Vacation pay
<8 years	6%
8–16 years	8%
16+ years	10%

Also under the previous contract, workers who started their rout but then had their run cancelled were paid half of a day’s mileage and half a day’s basic pay. That has been changed to half a days mileage and a full day’s basic pay.

The plug-in allowance has increased from $150 per school year per bus to $175 per school year per bus.

The following two clauses have been added to the collective agreement:

There may be elected by the employees such number of shop stewards as the union may determine, who shall perform such functions as the union may assign them, provided the duties of the shop stewards shall not conflict with their regular employment and duties with the company. The union also reserves the right to appoint shop stewards in the absence of an election. The company shall not discriminate against the shop stewards.

The union and its representatives shall not interfere with any employee, or group of employees, during working hours, without the consent of the proper official of the company.