BATTLEFORDS - Battlefords Transit System employees have voted in favour of joining a union.
Darcy Pederson, President of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 615, covering Saskatoon and now the Battlefords, confirmed the employees joined the union.
"We got the cards signed, submitted it to the Labour Board, the Labour Board conducted a vote, and the vote was in favour of joining the union," he said.
According to the city's website, North Battleford Public Transit is 100 per cent funded by the City of North Battleford. The buses are operated by Battlefords Transit System which also operates the Battlefords Handi-Bus.
The employees' effort to unionize has been a long process in the works.
"We had an attempt here [in the Battlefords] a couple of years ago and it failed by one vote," Pederson said. "That went to the Labour Board as well. It failed by one vote, so we figured we'd give it another shot here."
The full complement of 11 employees voted in favour in a vote that was held around mid-February.
"We're pretty proud of it," Pederson said. "It's definitely good. It's something we've been trying to do for a couple of years now."
He said now that that hurdle is finally over the union can start bargaining with Battlefords Transit System for a contract.
Pederson noted it was important for the employees to become unionized for improved conditions.
"They felt it was important to join the union because the union would bargain a collective agreement that gives them potentially better wages and better working conditions," Pederson said. "One of the members used to belong to ATU, so he knows what ATU is all about. It's about improving work conditions."
The Battlefords Transit System union is an extension of ATU Local 615.
The members have been concerned about benefits and wages.
"They just want improvements in that," Pederson said.
The next step is the union will serve notice to bargain a collective agreement with management.
"We should be starting that process shortly," Pederson said. "We're looking forward to working through the contract with the City of North Battleford."
