Fed up: transit workers

Transit workers say they’re ready to fight the city and council with 96 per cent of the union in favour of a strike mandate.

About 100 Amalgamated Transit Union members voted at the Communications, Energy and Paperwork Centre on Sunday. Transit workers voted 96 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.

Charlie Brown, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 966 said they received overwhelming support from the transit members.

"The fight is on," Brown said. "I’m going to tell the city right now that this is ultimatum coming from our work force. We’re tired, we’re fed up and the members say enough is enough. We’re expecting to go back to the table sometime when the city wants to meet. The city is going to have to change its position that’s all there is to it."

The city and union have only agreed to fix typos in the contract while the city has only put concessions to benefits and unlimited part-time work on the table, Brown said. Following the vote on Sunday, the union now has to set a date from the Ministry of Labour before considering any job action, he said. However, the union will take any steps necessary, including a work stoppage, to get a fair contract.

If transit workers were to go on strike it would be sometime in mid September, Brown added.

"As soon as we receive a date from the Ministry of Labour we have 17 days after that and we will be in a legal strike position," he said. "Fact of the matter is they’re fed up. When you have a work force like this who is fed up and they think they’re being taken advantage of then we’re going to do what ever is necessary."

City manager Tim Commisso told Tbnewswatch.com on Friday, that the city and council are doing everything they could to avoid a strike.

While he said there is a contingency plan in place should drivers walk off the job, he didn’t want to comment specifically on what the plan includes. He could only say that there is a significant communication strategy, which would be relayed to the public.

"It’s too early to speculate on what may happen," Commisso said on Friday. "We’re at the point where I think we’re stalled. But, we’re willing to carry on and meet and try to work this through but I don’t want to be in a position really of commenting on something until we see what happens."

No talks have been scheduled.

With files from Jamie Smith.