Saskatoon’s transit union won’t take job action until at least Friday.
The president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 615, Jim Yakubowski, says the union will await the outcome of a tribunal hearing, scheduled for Friday, before considering job action.
“I’m optimistic that no action will be necessary, but we’re cognizant of the impact that it will have on the public,” Yakubowski told CTV News. “So we’re hoping the issue can get resolved without any form of action.”
The union issued a 48-hour strike notice last week, but the deadline passed with buses still running.
The notice said non-essential staff may strike.
Access Transit is currently deemed essential but Saskatoon Transit is not, according to Yakubowski. He said he’s looking for clarity at Friday’s hearing on the essential services agreement between the union and the City of Saskatoon.
Job action, if taken, would not result in the removal of bus services, he said. Transit employees in the union would likely be banned from taking overtime and would work to rule — or, they would be entitled to do no more than the minimum requirements of their contract.
City and union officials met over the weekend and Monday after the union issued the strike notice, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.
The city claims the two sides agree on wages, but Yakubowski says any agreement is conditional on pension negotiations.
Pension continues to be the highest point of contention between the two. The transit union is the only one of nine city unions yet to sign on to the city’s proposed pension plan, according to the city.
Both sides say they are still open to negotiating, but Yakubowski notes no talks are scheduled at the moment.
“It’s been almost four years now and it’s time to bring these issues to rest in one capacity or another, and our members have been without a collective agreement for too long,” he said.
Transit workers have been without an agreement for four years. In 2014, bus drivers were locked out by the city for about a month after contract talks failed.
