Pair of councillors side with Transit union on contract process

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/08/2019 (2400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 members and two city councillors gathered at a bus stop on Main Street during early-morning rush hour to express their dissatisfaction with the City of Winnipeg’s most recent Transit contract offer.

Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) stood alongside Coun. Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) and echoed their concerns about the collective bargaining process, with a union vote on the latest proposal currently underway.

“Councillor Schreyer and I are calling on the mayor and (executive policy committee) council members… to stop threatening ATU 1505 bus drivers by taking away their ability to choose their work schedule, and as well as being able to plan their family holidays — vacations which they have been able to do in this city for 60 years,” said Eadie.

“This dysfunctional, combative collective bargaining process is scaring… dependant Transit users like myself, people with disabilities, people who don’t have a lot, aren’t earning a huge living, a little over minimum wage and it’s got to stop,” he said.

“Threatening our Transit drivers and Transit union members is going to backfire — it usually does.”

Schreyer urged the city to recognize worker’s needs and “stop scaring dependent Transit users by pushing ATU towards a strike.”

“We need to recognize the fact that ATU workers, our ATU workers, for 60 years have had these rights to choose their shifts and it’s been threatened at this point,” said Schreyer, referring to the city’s push to no longer allow drivers to switch shifts or vacation days, or consider seniority while choosing schedules.

ATU 1505 president Aleem Chaudhary said the councillors’ support was a “step in the right direction.”

“We do appreciate the backing that we are getting from both councillors and it’s a good start… I think the people are starting to wake up as to what’s going on, and you know the councillors themselves know it, but a lot of them don’t want to stand up,” said Chaudhary.

“I think at the end, we will come through this together.”

Friday is the last day for ATU members to vote on the most recent offer. Transit’s previous collective agreement expired in January.

nadya.pankiw@freepress.mb.ca