An agreement in principle for the renewal of the collective agreement for bus drivers was reached early Wednesday in Quebec City between the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and the drivers’ union.
The employer and the Union of Public Transport Employees of Metropolitan Quebec report in separate press releases that the parties have undertaken to recommend the agreement to their respective authorities later Wednesday.
However, the union confirmed that the announcement of this tentative agreement did not suspend the strike that began last Saturday. The service was therefore not offered at the start of the day on Wednesday.
The union said the strike would only end if the members endorsed the tentative agreement.
The 935 bus drivers went on strike last Saturday. Negotiations stumbled over the issue of wages.
The Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) had ruled that the union and the employer were not subject to the obligation to maintain essential services. The RTC serves a population of 580,000, operates a fleet of 449 standard buses, 109 articulated buses and 64 hybrid minibuses.
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