(Montreal) The workers of Garda road signs have ratified a new employment contract that will grant them salary increases totaling 26.3% over three years.

The Steelworkers union, affiliated with the FTQ, which represents these 900 workers, specifies that the increases will be approximately 5% the first year, 12% the second year and 10% the third year, depending on the job title.

Some are road flaggers, others set up signaling sites, others drive trucks with arrows and others train road escorts.

Steelworker union representative Martin L’Abbée reports that his members are “fairly satisfied” with what has been negotiated, although there are still areas to improve, particularly in terms of the safety of these workers.

Reached by email and phone, Garda had yet to comment as of this writing.

The road sign industry received a collective agreement decree last February. Such a decree aims to establish minimum conditions for all workers in an industry, whether or not they are unionized.