OC Transpo tentative deal could mean labour peace for LRT opening
Confederation Line expected to launch fully in the spring of 2018
The City of Ottawa says it has reached a tentative labour deal with the union representing OC Transpo drivers, mechanics and other workers, one the city says will "ensure stability" when the city's light rail transit system comes online.
The deal, reached Thursday night, is for an early extension on the collective agreement with ATU Local 279, according to city solicitor Rick O'Connor.
The deal was set to expire on March 31, 2016.
Details of the deal could not be disclosed until it is submitted for ratification to city council and the union membership, O'Connor said in an email statement.
Though O'Connor did not specifically mention the city's ongoing Confederation Line LRT project, he said the deal "will ensure stability during one of the most transformative periods for public transit in the City of Ottawa."
The last deal between the city and the union was four years. If the deal is at least two years long, it would cover the period in which the light rail system is expected to launch.
Major parts of the Confederation Line are expected to be completed in time for the city's celebrations of Canada's 150th anniversary in the summer of 2017. Full service is expected to launch in the spring of 2018.