No arbitration, no end in sight: union president
Posted Feb 15, 2012 05:45:37 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The head of the union representing Halifax transit workers says he’s disappointed, but not surprised the city turned down the union’s request to take the labour dispute to binding arbitration.
Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union donned matching red sweaters and marched from the Dartmouth bridge bus terminal to city hall on Tuesday, after voting overwhelmingly in favour of the measure.
However, the city rejected the arbitration offer late Tuesday night, opting instead to resume talks with a new provincial conciliator.
ATU Local 508 president Ken Wilson tells News 95.7 talks have been taking place since October with the help of a conciliator and said he’s baffled by council’s decision.
“We can meet with Mr. Zwicker and the employer’s negotiation team and we can sit at the table for another 20 hours and look at each other,” he said. “But if the employer’s not serious about removing rostering and working through the other eight items, then it’s just going to be more political theatre and false hope for the public.”
Wilson says his members had agreed to go back to work immediately while the arbitration process took place, effectively ending the two-week-old strike. Following some maintenance, safety and licensing checks, workers would resume service operating under the previous contract terms until a new contract has been reached.
“We could have buses on the road, ferries in the water as soon as possible. It could be 24 hours according to some of the people I’ve talked to,” said Wilson.
Wilson said he will be meeting with his negotiation team this morning to discuss the ramifications of the city’s decision.
HRM residents weren’t happy about the council vote Wednesday morning, saying they appreciate fiscal restraint – but want the strike to end.
“I think the city is avoiding it,” said one man. “They’re trying to save money. They run over budget and they’re covering their ass.”
“That’s not a very fair decision,” said Aurora Chambers. “To keep everybody at a standstill, in limbo, inconveniencing all these people who depend on this service in the city, it doesn’t really make sense.”
The city has saved about $1 million since transit workers walked off the job Feb. 2.
