Effective March 29, 2013, provincial roads and bridges in Okanagan-Shuswap will be maintained by JPW Road and Bridge Inc. This service area encompasses the communities of Vernon, Armstrong, Spallumcheen, Falkland, Enderby, Salmon Arm and Sicamous.

JPW Road and Bridge Inc. has purchased the assets of Argo Road Maintenance in this service area. All of Argo's unionized staff in this service area, represented by the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU), will be offered jobs with the new maintenance contractor.

All of the rights of the unionized employees, including seniority and entitlement to benefits, as described in the collective agreement that was negotiated as part of the recent five-year contract extensions, will continue.

Argo's staff in this service area, the Ministry Transportation and Infrastructure and the BCGEU were formally advised of this change on Jan. 31, 2013.

Joe Wrobel, president and general manager of JPW Road and Bridge Inc., has extensive experience in the industry. JPW Road and Bridge Inc.'s contract for Okanagan-Shuswap expires on March 28, 2019.

Argo Road Maintenance has contracts to maintain roads and bridges in two other service areas - South Okanagan and Thompson - and will continue to operate there.

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241