Winnipeg, MB - The City of Winnipeg and Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1505 (ATU) remain at impasse on negotiations following two days of mediation.
“The City entered mediation in good faith despite being at an impasse with the union,” said Michael Jack, Chief Corporate Services Officer. “Unfortunately, after two days of mediation and despite the fact that the City put forward an offer to settle, the parties are no closer to reaching a tentative agreement. We feel that a strike will be initiated by the ATU during the fall schedule when it will be most disruptive to passengers and residents.”
The latest proposal to the ATU from the City was provided on August 2, 2019, and included the adjustments the City made to the benefit of ATU from the previous offer.
While progress was made on several working condition items brought forward by the union in mediation, the parties remain far apart over general wage increases and the union’s demand to increase mechanics’ salary by $10 per hour. The latest proposal from the City includes a general wage increase of 2 percent each year in January 2020, 2021, 2022, and a 2 percent increase on March 31, 2023. The proposed term of the collective agreement is four years and two months.
The ATU has previously proposed a 2.75 percent general wage increase each year over four years. This level of increase would eclipse every single annual wage increase negotiated with every single City of Winnipeg union over the last three years, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees, United Firefighters of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Police Association, and the Manitoba Government Employees Union. Of note, the first general wage increase occurred after 12 months into each of their collective agreements.
The City requested that ATU take our final offer to its members for a vote; however, ATU has not officially responded to this request.
The ATU remains in a legal strike position, and the previous collective agreement is officially terminated. The City will consider all options available to an Employer under the Labour Relations Act to conclude this matter.
The previous collective agreement with ATU expired January 12, 2019. Over the last seven months of negotiating, the City has provided the ATU with a total of four offers to settle.