Transit strike averted in Guelph

Guelph Transit buses sit outside the downtown terminal on Friday, July 11, 2014.

Buses will continue to roll in Guelph as a tentative agreement has been reached between the city and the union representing more than 200 transit workers.

In a release, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) announced ATU Local 1189 has reached a tentative agreement after months of contract talks and the threat of a strike.

The release says the deal includes significant wage increases, better work-life balance and some other improvements the union had been looking for.

A ratification vote will be held next week.

“Our members worked hard for this contract, and we believe it strikes the right balance between meeting their needs and maintaining the high standard of service that the residents of Guelph deserve,” 1189 President Scott Bate said in the release.

The city’s Acting General Manager of Human Resources Stephen O’Brien said the city is looking forward to formalizing the new collective agreement. “We value the work of all City employees in delivering important public services to our community and are committed to negotiating settlements that are fair to employees and affordable for taxpayers. We are grateful for the efforts of all parties at the bargaining table and appreciate that this agreement will allow us to avoid service disruptions for the members of Guelph’s community who rely on Guelph Transit.”

Previously, the union announced it was prepared to start a strike on Thursday if a deal couldn’t be reached.