Bus drivers and mechanics employed by
Metro Transit in Greater Vancouver and
Victoria earn substantially more money
than bus drivers and mechanics in any
other major city in Canada.

' The present wage is $11.37 an hour for
drivers and $13.48 for mechanics. Basic
annual earnings, for a 7¥2 hour day

5 days a week, are in excess of $22,000
for drivers and $26,000 for mechanics.
In addition, with premium pay, including
overtime which is always at their choice,
the 19 rnings of a number of drivers
in excess of $30,000 and some
went as high as $40,000.

Metro Transit has offered the drivers and mechanics
a $1.45 an hour increase for 1981, and a further
$1.45 an hour increase for 1982, pilus substantial
changes in fringe benefits. But they are demanding
more. The Amalgamated Transit Union is demand-
ing wage increases of $1.60 an hour for drivers and

Al9 - Wednesday, August 19, 1981 - North Shore News

CURRENT RATES

Bus
Operators Mechanics
Metro Transit $11.37* $13.48*
(Vancouver/Victoria)
Calgary 10.00 12.46
Edmonton 9.85 12.22

Toronto 9.29 10.27
Ottawa 9.70 10.95
Montreal 9.51 10.15

*Rate offered
Effective 1 Apr. 81 12.82 14.93
Effective 1 Apr. '82 14.27 16.38

METRO TRANSIT’S OFFER

$1.60 an hour for mechanics in one year. The Metro
Transit Authority has already offered an additional
7 V2 million dollars in wages to the union's members.
The union's demands will cost 1% million dollars
over and above this amount.

YOU PAY THE BILL

The costs of any increases to drivers and mechanics

must be passed on to the public. For every dollar
increase in the cost of operating the transit system
35¢ must come from the farebox,1.e the bus pas-
sengers, while the balance will come from the tax-
payer

METRO TRANSIT OPERATING COMPANY |

At Metro Transit, we have a responsibility to provide
adequate compensation to the bus drivers and
mechanics and to hold down fares and taxes for
passengers and taxpayers

Our objective is an agreement that is fair and
equitable for everyone

VANCOUVER 4 VICTORIA

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