[ad_1]
Hamilton’s transit workers are off the job, officially beginning strike action early Thursday morning.
Members of ATU Local 107 begin picketing outside the HSR Mountain transit center on Upper James after they failed to reach a deal with city negotiators before the deadline of one minute past midnight.
ATU president Eric Tuck says his bargaining team is ready to go back to the table at any time.
“When the city is ready to make a move we’re here ready to sit down and have those talks, but it takes two to bargain,” Tuck said.
“We’re not going to bargain with ourselves. So if they’re prepared to move off of their current position, then we’re certainly open to sit down and have a productive discussion.”
Tuck says union negotiators are set to update their job action in a press conference at the Frank Cooke Terminal on MacNab Street at 10 a.m. Thursday.
In a statement Wednesday night, Mayor Andrea Horwath expressed her “disappointment” with the strike.
“This is such a hard time for so many people, and I know the disruption of transit services will add more stress, to residents and workers,” she wrote.
She believes the work stoppage can still be resolved “quickly” and “kindly” in a way fair to transit workers, unions, and taxpayers.
“This is a labour town, and I believe deeply in the collective bargaining process and continue to encourage both sides to engage meaningfully in the best interests of transit workers and our city,” Horwath said.
Little was accomplished Tuesday after negotiators decided to call off talks in the early afternoon.
ATU Local 107 president Eric Tuck said city staff and the HSR didn’t bring anything new to the table and opted only to discuss strike protocol for Thursday when buses stop running.
“The employer started the day by offering us a set of strike protocols, which we refused to sign,” Tuck explained.
“We then asked the employer straight out if they had anything further to offer in the hopes of averting a strike or disruption of service … the employer made it clear … they had nothing more to improve that final offer.”
Acting city manager Carlyle Khan said from the city’s point of view, it’s now a “wait-and-see” situation over the next few days.
“So I think that if they work together … be creative and look for solutions … keeping in mind (it’s) the customers that are impacted, they will have a positive outcome,” Khan said.
In a statement Tuesday night, the city said a meeting earlier in the day was adjourned when the ATU was unwilling to reduce monetary demands and didn’t agree to strike protocols.
The city says the current offer declined is around $80,000 in the fourth year of the agreement, representing a salary increase of 12.75 per cent over the life of the contract.
Tuck says members showed up “in record numbers” on Sunday, agreeing with negotiators’ recommendations to reject the city’s last contract offer made Oct. 24 that they say doesn’t keep up with growing inflation.
He insists the decision was not made lightly and that withdrawing services for “dependent Hamiltonians” is not desirable.
“We haven’t done it in the last 25 years,” Tuck said.
“But there are times when given the economic times in the market that we’re living in where you have to demand wages to keep pace with inflation and are reflective of that market.”
Transit workers voted 94 per cent to reject the city’s last offer and say there are other GTA transit agencies, like Brampton and Mississauga, that have better packages for workers, creating a vacuum in hiring and retaining workers.
Executive director of human resources Lora Fontana said the city’s final offer would put operators third in Ontario for salary, behind Brampton and Mississauga bus service workers who make $3 more per hour.
“With what we’ve proposed, they would be earning almost $80,000 a year and that is exclusive of any overtime or premiums,” Fontana said.
Tuck countered saying GO Transit wages, as well as what TTC workers get was left off the city’s list of examples which actually places HSR workers sixth or seventh in Ontario.
“We know for a fact that Mississauga is in negotiations and they’re already $3 ahead of us,” said Tuck
“The reality is my members can go 45 minutes to a half-hour down the road and get a job for $3 to $5 an hour more.”
Hamilton’s last transit strike was in 1998 and lasted 12 weeks.
Khan’s advice for riders who will have to cope with the potential lack of bus service is to seek out some sort of carpooling or ride-sharing, including the use of the city’s Smart Commute website.
Outside of those options, the only other contingency is a recommendation that users walk or cycle, if weather permits, or ask an employer for permission to work from home.
“I think we’re going to be all in the same boat if there’s a labour disruption,” Khan said.
“Hopefully before Thursday morning, we reach some form of a settlement. ”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
[ad_2]
Source link
