City council gives final approval to Saskatoon Transit deal

Saskatoon Transit workers officially have a collective bargaining agreement in place for the first time since 2012.

On Thursday in a "short, but historic meeting of city council" in the words of Mayor Charlie Clark the deal approved by Saskatoon Transit employees was ratified.

• Saskatoon Transit union accepts city's contract offer

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 615 and the City of Saskatoon reached a tentative agreement last Friday after their latest round of bargaining. In a special meeting Tuesday, 56 per cent of members voted in favour of accepting the deal.

The contract includes a 10-per-cent wage increase over the life of the deal, retroactive to 2013, and the same pension plan that the city's eight other unions had agreed to.

Finalizing the deal Thursday means workers will receive retroactive pay before Christmas. That includes current and former employees, transit staff told council.

The agreement expires at the end of March 2017.