Grand River Transit workers reject deal, strike underway
Workers with Grand River Transit have rejected a tentative agreement from the Region of Waterloo and are on strike as of Monday.
Buses continued to run until regular service ended at 3 a.m. Monday. Services for GRT, busPLUS, and MobilityPLUS stopped after that.
Riders will now have to find another way to get around.
RATIFICATION VOTE
A tentative agreement was reached Saturday between the region and UNIFOR Local 4304, which represents 650 transit operators and nearly 90 skill trades people, including GRT drivers, mechanics, vehicle service attendants, dispatchers, reservationists, fleet mechanics and service attendants.
A strike could have been averted if it passed a member vote on Sunday.
Shortly before 10 p.m., both the region and UNIFOR announced that the agreement was not ratified and workers were now in a legal strike position.
All bus service, including MobilityPLUS and busPLUS, will not run on Monday and customer service locations will be closed.
The LRT will continue to operate as usual as it’s maintained and operated by Keolis.
“Despite an offer that was competitive for GRT staff and affordable for residents, unfortunately we were not able to reach an agreement,” the region said in Sunday’s media release. “The region is committed to reaching an agreement and we remain open to discussions with the union. We appreciate that customers rely on transit on a daily basis and we will continue to update customers and residents with information as soon as it becomes available.”
CTV News also reached out to UNIFOR Local 4304. They said: "The membership has spoken and rejected the tentative agreement. Scheduling, work-life balance and wages are all major issues. We are looking to resolve this as quickly as possible in order to continue to serve the public."
Unifor and the region have been meeting daily since April 17.
"I actually don't know how I am going to get to work tomorrow," one GRT rider told CTV News Sunday night. "It's going to affect me a lot.
"I heard the train is still running. Riding my bike is my other option."
Updates on the status of transit services can be found on the GRT website.
In a tweet Monday morning, United Taxi in Kitchener said it would be providing free transportation on Monday and Tuesday to dialysis patients going to and from Grand River Hospital and Freeport hospital due to the transit strike.
THE LAST GRT STRIKE
In 2020, GRT workers had a tentative agreement on the table but it was rejected in a vote. This led to buses not running for nearly two weeks.
The Village Eatery in Cambridge told CTV News they saw a 20 per cent drop in business because regulars were spending their lunch money on transportation to get to work instead.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.