Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Garden Valley School Division Bus Drivers Ratify New Collective Agreement

Winkler, MB—School bus drivers employed by Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) voted in favour of ratifying a four-year collective agreement. The employees are represented by Education, Service, and Healthcare Union, CLAC Local 306.

Highlights of the new contract include year over year percentage adjustments in line with other public sector agreements, in addition to significant special adjustments to boost wages taking effect July 1, 2024.

“The new agreement is in many ways similar to the agreement reached for other support staff represented by CLAC,” says Geoff Dueck Thiessen, CLAC Winnipeg Member Centre regional director. “It draws attention to the work done by bus drivers, which can be taken for granted.

“Almost everything about bus driving is about safety. These folks drive our most precious cargo in all sorts of weather and road conditions, and they keep an amazing safety track record.

“Most people don’t realize that bus driving is a split shift job, with early morning wakeups and safety checks, and then back at it in the afternoon. Our goal was to make it financially worth it to be available all day and only work part of it.”

School bus drivers working at GVSD have been represented by CLAC Local 306 since 2005. Since that time, they have received professional representation in bargaining as well as in the everyday workplace, in addition to participation in a high-value, low-cost health benefits plan.

Garden Valley School Division Bus Drivers Ratify New Collective Agreement

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