Winnipeg, MB - The City of Winnipeg is implementing measures available to it as an Employer under the Labour Relations Act in an effort to reach an agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1505 (ATU).
The ATU has been in a legal strike position since May 31, 2019. The overtime ban implemented by the ATU in June 2019 met the definition of a strike under the Labour Relations Act. This strike by the ATU officially terminated the previous collective agreement. However, to date, the City has operated under the terms set out in the previous collective agreement.
Effective August 10, 2019, the City is amending the terms and conditions of employment that govern the working relationship with members of the ATU. Bus operators will no longer be able to request trade or vacation switches for the remainder of the year, and they will be assigned their day off groups and schedules when the fall schedule comes into effect on September 1, 2019.
Should ATU’s membership ratify the City’s final offer by August 17, the City will reinstate the full terms and conditions and bus operators will select shift packages based on seniority.
“While we’re encouraged the ATU has indicated that it plans to take our offer back to its members, we’re using the tools at our disposal to reach a resolution that doesn’t impact the tens of thousands of daily Transit riders who rely on the service,” said Michael Jack, Chief Corporate Services Officer. “I can’t stress enough, we have presented a fair and reasonable final offer, and we urge the union to carefully consider it.”
The parties remain far apart over general wage increases and the union’s demand to increase mechanics’ salary by $10 per hour. The City’s final offer presented on August 2, 2019 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. For additional context, based on the City’s proposed general wage increase, by 2023, a bus operator, at top rate, will make over $59,000 a year plus benefits, and a mechanic, at top rate, will make over $74,000 a year plus benefits.
The ATU 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 Fire Paramedic Senior Officers Association, the Winnipeg Police Association, the Winnipeg Police Senior Officers Association, and the Manitoba Government Employees Union. Of note, the first general wage increase occurred after 12 months into the term of each collective agreement.
In recognition of the ATU’s concerns with flexible spare operators, but also recognizing the ATU’s and the City’s desire to improve working conditions and work/life balance, the City’s offer includes a modification of a union proposal that would allow retired bus operators to be rehired to cover single day leave requests by bus operators. The City also abandoned its request for flexible spare operators.
The City has proposed changes to the Scheduling Committee that will provide more union and bus operator input during the development of bus schedules.
The City has not asked the ATU to give anything up such as health or vision benefits, pension, or overtime premiums while adjusting its offer to the benefit of the ATU on more than one occasion.
The City will continue to 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.