Service disruptions possible Monday after Transit workers reject offer

A Winnipeg Transit Bus. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

Winnipeg Transit workers have rejected the City's latest collective bargaining agreement offer and will begin a series of job actions that could disrupt bus service as soon as Monday.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1505 said in a news release Friday that its members have chosen not to approve the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) put forth by bargaining parties.

"The main point of contention has been the dissatisfaction with the current unsafe working conditions, feeling that compensation is not adequate for the increased risk that the job entails as well as no improvements to benefits has led to a decision to pursue further job actions," said the release.

It said Winnipeg Transit workers face a high safety risk on the job, and there is a concern that they are not always fairly compensated for that risk. The union said there is a prevailing sentiment among employees that their safety concerns are not being taken seriously by management.

The union said workers will begin a series of job actions to advocate for better compensation, beginning with a ban on voluntary overtime.

"Transit functions on a large portion of voluntary overtime, as the fleet is missing around 5% of operators to fully restore services to pre-pandemic levels," the union said. "The high demand for overtime has caused undue stress on members and electing to end all voluntary overtime will send a clear message."

The union added if workers' grievances are not addressed, the actions may escalate to a full-scale strike.

The announcement comes after the second round of negotiations. The City of Winnipeg said in an email to CTV News that it's disappointed the offer was rejected.

"While the City will do its best to mitigate impacts of ATU’s refusal to work overtime, Transit users should prepare for service disruptions beginning Monday morning," said a City spokesperson.

The City said it's still hopeful they can come to a deal. The union says it's committed to engaging in continued dialogue with the employer in the hopes of resolving the issues at hand.