Transit strike could be a while: city, union at impasse
Posted Feb 3, 2012 05:57:22 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Metro Transit strike has entered its second day with no end in sight, as the city and union remain far apart – and unwilling to talk.
The number of cars on the road increased noticeably on Thursday, causing traffic jams during the morning and evening commute.
But in spite of the chaos and extreme frustration being expressed by taxpayers, representatives for the workers and the employer refused to budge from the positions they were in when talks broke down early Thursday morning.
“If the mayor wants to talk, he can call me,” ATU local 508 president Ken Wilson reiterated several times on Thursday.
The Mayor says HRM is sticking to the two contract offers it presented to the union late Wednesday night, and says the city will not return to the table until one of the deals is put to the union membership for a vote.
“We said, would you mind taking these to the drivers? Do they want rostering with more money? Or, do they want it without rostering with more money as well,” Mayor Peter Kelly told the Rick Howe Show Thursday afternoon. “Because, we’re hearing from some of the drivers that they prefer rostering and they would take the higher amount for that.”
Rostering refers to the method by which workers have their shifts scheduled, and it’s an issue the union has called a deal-breaker. The city has said it would eliminate issues associated with the current method of scheduling.
HRM’s bargaining team had two proposals for the union to consider: one that included rostering along with a six per cent wage increase over three years, and a second option without rostering and a wage increase of 3.5 percent over three years.
The Amalgamated Transit Union’s Ken Wilson told reporters he was shocked after receiving the two proposals when the employer informed him they would not continue to negotiate on dozens of issues stil on the table.
“We told the employer ‘Great, you removed the last big issue, which was the rostering. Let’s start negotiating those 70 concessions,” Wilson told the talk show. “Fifteen minutes later they said, ‘We’re not prepared to move,’ and we set up our strike lines.”
Wilson says there’s no need to take the deals to the membership for a vote, noting the workers voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action.
Dozens of people supporting the ATU Local 508 attended a rally outside City Hall Thursday evening, including members of the Halifax-Dartmouth District Labour Council.
“There may be something broken at City Hall, but there is nobody broke at City Hall,” union vice-president Shane O’Leary told the crowd through a megaphone.
The first full day of the transit strike caused major traffic delays, and some people walked for more than two hours to attend work, school and hospital appointments.
Callers to News 95.7 on Thursday afternoon seemed to think one day without transit was plenty, and wanted both sides to work out a deal.
“I’ve hear Mr. Wilson talking, and he’s said a few things that, let’s be honest are just lies,” said Joey. “He said there have been no negotiations. That’s ridiculous. We all know there have been.”
“I think it’s time for the union to stop being a bunch of cry babies and get back at the dame table and get this thing settled,” Tom told the talk show.
“As far as I can tell, you don’t have the public support,” Patrick told the union president when calling into the talk show. “People are supporting the city, and that says a lot.”
“What I see is both parties go to the table asking for more than what they’re going to get. That happens at every negotiation,” said Yvette from Dartmouth. “City Council put those big huge issues on the table knowing full well that that would be a contentious issue. And by removing that, they’re trying to manipulate the situation for those other 70 concessions that they actually want.”
Two picketers were struck by a vehicle coming out of the Metro Transit Bus Terminal in Dartmouth on Thursday morning. Police said the driver fled the scene but was later apprehended. The two picketers declined medical attention.
