Public transit disruptions possible in Guelph as union negotiations stall

Undated Guelph Transit Bus (Source: Guelph Transit)

Negotiations have broken down between the City of Guelph and the union representing Guelph Transit workers, which could result in some service disruptions in November.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1189 represents around 260 transit workers. The union said it filed a no-board report with the Ministry of Labour once negotiations reached a standstill.

In a news release Wednesday, the union said transit users will be informed in advance of any service interruptions.

“Let me be clear, we are committed to ensuring that our passengers are kept informed and are not left scrambling or stranded at bus stops,” said ATU 1189 President Scott Bate, in the release. “The ATU will not withdraw our service or take direct strike action without giving a three-day notice to our riders.”

Members voted 99.5 per cent in favour of a strike if negotiations failed to move forwards.

“While we have no way of predicting what next steps the employer is contemplating, we believe it’s important to let riders and the general public know: if a disruption to transit occurs at the beginning of November, it will be a direct result of the employer refusing to negotiate a fair contract and the city’s refusal to stop bringing concessions to the table,” Bate stated.

The union said there’s no future bargaining dates scheduled before the strike deadline, but they are willing to meet with the city “anytime in the interest of getting a fair deal done for its members.”

Guelph’s acting general manager of human resources, Stephen O’Brien, said in an email to CTV News: “The city remains committed to the collective bargaining process. We have appreciated the discussions we’ve had with ATU over the last few months. Our focus is on continuing productive discussions toward a successfully bargained collective agreement.”