Transit workers vote on new deal as strike date looms

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This article was published 05/12/2023 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Labour action that caused a surge in bus cancellations has ended and Winnipeg Transit staff are voting on a tentative agreement as a strike deadline draws near.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 said its recent members’ ban on voluntary overtime was halted Monday.

Transit drivers, mechanics, technicians, clerical and support workers will vote on a third tentative agreement in sessions scheduled until Friday at 4 p.m.

“We didn’t want to implement (the overtime ban) to begin with. My members strive to provide exceptional service to the public, but we felt at the time it was a necessary action to get a deal ratified,” ATU 1505 president Chris Scott said Tuesday.

Scott said the City of Winnipeg has come back with a better contract offer than its two previous, which the union had endorsed but its members voted down.

He believes the current vote will likely determine if Transit employees walk off the job. A strike deadline set for 12:01 a.m. Dec. 11 remains in place.

“It’s now come down to the finish line. We either accept this and attempt to address the issues that are plaguing my membership… (Or) if the members vote no, then we are out on the line.”

The union president believes the two previous offers were rejected largely because workers felt they didn’t do enough to address “unrealistically” tight bus schedules and a growing number of assaults against drivers.

“There is a lot of anger among my membership with regards to the fact that they have to deal with this level of violence,” said Scott.

Winnipeg Transit data show the OT ban was followed by a significant disruption to routes, with about 477 service hours (or 8.4 per cent) lost Monday, when not enough drivers were available to provide all scheduled pickups.

While Transit confirmed the overtime ban has been dropped, spokeswoman Alissa Clark noted a driver shortage still prevents some buses from arriving to cover the full schedule.

Winnipeg Transit has about 897 active bus operators and is short about 95 to operate a full fall schedule, Clark said in an emailed statement. “Passengers are encouraged to continue checking their schedules online before travelling.”

Due to an operator shortage, 49 individual buses did not operate for brief periods over nine days between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20. That surged to 58 times during morning rush hour and 72 times during afternoon rush hour Nov. 27 alone — the date the OT ban took effect.

Clark warned service would come to a complete halt, should ATU 1505 membership opt to strike.

“An ATU strike would immediately stop all Transit service, and no Winnipeg Transit buses would run on any routes. In the event of an ATU strike… Transit users will need to be prepared to find alternative means of transportation,” she wrote.

The statement stressed the city remains committed to negotiating a labour deal.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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