The 356 outside workers, members of CUPE 759, were on strike for almost six weeks before securing a settlement that shatters the employers plans to sell-off public services such as transit, road clearing and garbage collection.
The workers knew this was a fight for their jobs, said local president Joe Currie. They did what it took to stop the municipalitys privatization agenda.
Before the strike even began, the municipality was in high gear dismantling services, handing out pink slips to 28 workers and preparing the paperwork to layoff another 130 workers in the spring.
But union solidarity prevailed. They won the battle to have the 28 workers reinstated and contract language that halts the prospect of future layoffs.
The union also got the language they wanted on seniority and they won a wage increase that will bring bus drivers closer to parity with heavy equipment operators