GRT service resumes Thursday , new deal ratified

Buses were up and running again Thursday morning following a 10-day strike.

The union representing Grand River Transit (GRT) bus operators and support staff and the Region of Waterloo reached a new agreement on Tuesday.

For many in the region, commuting to and from work became much more expensive, with some forced to take a taxi or Uber.

“Every day it’s like $19 an Uber. It’s good buses are back and they gave us free rides for 10 days, its good news for us,” said one GRT rider today.

For some Kitchener residents like Tammy Markham, the strike even took a physical toll, adding a commute on foot to work.

“I couldn’t do it, it was a lot on my body to do that all at once. So I did as much as I could but I still had to take quite a few taxis,” said Markham.

And for Aisosa, another GRT rider, the strike managed to shorten their commute for a little while.

“Normally it’s an hour and thirty minutes give or take, but during the strike my office gave us cab service, so my commute was just 18 minutes,” Aisosa said.

During a special Region of Waterloo council meeting on Thursday, members voted unanimously to ratify the agreement with the union.

The union said the deal will see an increase of 11 per cent over the three-year term contract.

However, a news release from the region Wednesday said the agreement will see a 9.88 per cent increase in wages and benefits over three years.

CTV News reached out to both the region and the union for further clarification. The union replied their release is accurate.

The region did not clarify the apparent disparity, only providing the information in their previous release.

The region said it is not collecting fares on transit from Thursday until, and including, Victoria Day. It means transit will be free over the Victoria Day long weekend.

“The free fare covers most of what I paid in taxis, not all of it, but I think in the end just having the buses back is the most important thing," Markham said

Customers who bought a monthly transit pass before May 8 will be given a pass for June. The Region won't be offering any refunds for taxi or ridesharing rides that people may have used during the strike.