Potential GO Transit strike could affect Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton and St. Catharines local bus service
Published October 19, 2022 at 11:07 am
More than 2,000 GO Transit workers in Southern Ontario could go on a legal strike in 12 days — and their union brethren in Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga and St. Catharines have the right to refuse to cross any potential picket lines.
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) local 1587, which represents GO Transit bus drivers, station attendants, safety officers and maintenance workers has talks scheduled tomorrow (Oct. 20) with the management bargaining team of Metrolinx, the provincial regional transit agency. It is now prepared to have members walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 31. Two months ago, members of ATU 1587 voted 93 per cent in favour of going on strike if necessary.
Bus operators and other local transit employees in Hamilton, the two Peel Region cities and Milton are also represented by ATU. Multiple published reports have indicated that members in those centres may exercise their legal rights to honour a picket line, which in turn could create staffing shortages.
Three locals, based on info culled from their websites, represent around 2,765 transit workers in four communities in Hamilton, Peel and Halton. Local 107 of ATU reps some 700 women who work for Hamilton Street Railway (HSR), including 450 bus operators. In Mississauga and Milton, ATU 1572 has an 1,100-strong membership who work for MiWay. And ATU Local 1573 represents 965 drivers, part-time and full-time staff and the maintenance staff for the City of Brampton.
There are also three locals in Niagara Region that represent local transit workers in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland.
The issues that Metrolinx and ATU 1587 have not resolved include job security, wages and having work contracted out to non-union workers. Metrolinx, for its part, says negotiations are continuing “in good faith” and it has agreed to 67 improvements in working conditions.
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“Metrolinx continues to negotiate with the ATU in good faith,” a Metrolinx statement provided to inthehammer says. A strike is unnecessary and avoidable. Negotiations are ongoing and we will remain at the table to reach an agreement that includes the 67 improvements we have already agreed to. Should a labour disruption occur, Metrolinx has a plan in place to ensure the continuity of services for our customers. To be clear, GO Train service would continue in this event.”
The negotations began in April. Their collective agreement expired at the beginning of June, 3½ months ago. The 93-per-cent vote to strike if necessary was completed over two months ago. A no-board report was issued Sept. 19 by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, which put the respective sides in legal strike or lockout position on Oct. 1.
Representatives from ATU have also noted that their members are affected by the Ontario government’s Bill 124 wage-restraint law, which holds many Ontario public sector employees to 1-per-cent annual raises. That is actually a pay decrease when adjusted for inflation. Since the legislation took effect in November 2021, the monthly inflation
rate in Canada has never been lower than 4.7 per cent. It was 6.9% in September.