Winnipeg Transit drivers and mechanics among lowest paid in Canada

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Winnipeg Transit drivers and mechanics are among the lowest paid in their trade across the country.

In a survey of 67 collective agreements with transit authorities and firms provided by the Amalgamated Transit Union, Winnipeg transit drivers and mechanics rank near the bottom in paid hourly wages (view our graph below).

John Callahan, president and business agent for ATU Local 1505, which represents Winnipeg Transit unionized employees, said the lower wage rates paid here is hurting Transit because it’s been unable to attract the qualified staff it needs and is losing its employees to other workplaces.

“There was an incident recently where an apprentice mechanic was on his cell phone on the (Transit garage) shop floor, negotiating a higher wage with another employer,” Callahan said. “That apprentice was here a week and then left.”

Talks resume Friday

Talks between the union and city hall resume Friday following an exchange of proposals at a meeting with a conciliator on Tuesday.

A civic spokeswoman said the city remains hopeful a settlement can be reached.

But Callahan said there will be some misapprehension among his team after city hall broke a bargaining protocol by going public Wednesday with each side’s position on wages.

“It was irresponsible of the city to do that,” Callahan said.

The city has offered drivers an 8 per cent increase over four years and mechanics 8.81 per cent. The union countered with 10 per cent for drivers and mechanics over three years, with an annual $1 hourly top up for mechanics as an incentive to attract workers. The union has revised its original proposal for mechanics but would not release details.

The Transit contract expired Jan. 17 and employees have since voted 91.5 per cent to authorize a strike, but Callahan said he hopes both sides can come to an agreement.

Overtime ban reveals staff shortages: union

Callahan said the union’s recent no-overtime initiative demonstrates that Winnipeg Transit has been unable to attract the number of staff it needs to keep its fleet on the road. City officials have admitted the overtime ban as resulted in some cancelled rush hour routes, late buses all day, and left an unspecified number of buses sitting idle because of needed repairs.

“Transit doesn’t have the staff it needs to operate a fleet because our wages are way lower than most anywhere else and can’t find the people it needs,” Callahan said. “The only way (Transit) can function properly now is with a heavy reliance on overtime and you can’t force people to work overtime.”

Callahan said the wages paid to Winnipeg Transit mechanics and drivers is far behind wages paid to similar positions in every part of the country.

Winnipeg Transit mechanics earn $31.40 an hour, placing them 29th among 38 collective agreements — earning less than transit mechanics in Edmonton, Calgary, West Vancouver, Mississauga, Toronto, Lethbridge, Regina, Hamilton, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Halifax, St. John’s (NL), Niagara Falls and London.

Winnipeg Transit drivers earn $25.64 an hour, placing them 24th among 29 collective agreements — earning less than drivers in Edmonton, Calgary, Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, West Vancouver, Lethbridge, London, Niagara Falls, St. John’s (NL), Saint John (NB),Regina, and Thunder Bay.

Callahan said the lower wages paid to Winnipeg Transit employees contrasts to the reputation for excellence Winnipeg Transit has across the country.

The Ontario Municipal CAO’s Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI) most recent report ranked Winnipeg Transit as having the second lowest hourly operating cost per vehicle, in a comparison with 11 communities, edged out by Windsor Transit.

“Our hourly operating costs per vehicle are 26 per cent below the national average — that’s an incredible number,” Callahan said.

Callahan said that while Winnipeg transit mechanics are paid $31.40 an hour, Transit charges New Flyer $95 an hour for warranty work transit staff do and an engine manufacturer $125 per hour.

“Our members are helping to keep Transit’s costs down,” Callahan said.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca