One hundred and twenty-six Southern Railway (SRY) workers are back on the tracks after ratifying a seven-year contract with their employer on Monday.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Local 7000 members returned to work on Tuesday, nearly four months after being locked out by the New Westminster-based company, according to a press release from the union.
“Most of the guys are happy to be going back,” Bill Magri, president of CUPE 7000, told the Record, saying the contract was a win for both sides.
The contract, which is retroactive to Apr. 1, 2014, includes 10 per cent wage increases spread out over the length of the contract, as well as the preservation of post-retiree benefits.
“It did come down to the post-retiree benefits,” Magri said, adding members compromised on other points to maintain benefits. One of the sticking points in the negotiation process was that the employer wanted to pull back post-retiree benefits for new hires.
“At the end of the day, the employer took that off the table,” Magri said.
The 119-day lockout was hard on members, according to Magri.
“Anytime you have a lockout or a dispute, it does pose difficulties,” he said.
But the length of the new contract means labour peace for both sides for some time, he added.
“The seven-year agreement gives the employer the stability they were looking for, and gives us stability as well,” Magri said.
The agreement also includes improvements to dental benefits, training and working conditions, the press release stated.
The contract was ratified at a meeting attended by 113 of the 126 members, with 68 per cent voting in favour, the release added.
Southern Railway president Frank Butzelaar could not be reached for comment immediately by the Record.
When Southern announced the lockout in January, Butzelaar said, "SRY believes in the collective bargaining process. Unfortunately CUPE has not shown similar commitment.
"SRY cannot remain competitive without amendments to the current collective agreement with CUPE 7000," Butzelaar stated at the time. "We believe our offer is fair considering the current economic circumstances."
The company's 34 managers handled operations throughout the lockout, Butzelaar told the Record.
