'They're scared to come to work': Winnipeg transit union calls for more safety measures amid rise in violence

The union representing Winnipeg transit workers is sounding the alarm over a rise in violent incidents, including attacks on operators and passengers.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1505, which represents 1,400 transit workers across the province, held a rally at Winnipeg City Hall Tuesday morning. It called for an increase in safety measures to combat violence on public transit.

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“It’s the Wild West out there, and we’re basically stagecoach drivers without a six-shooter right now,” said ATU Local 1505 executive vice-president Derek Hanley.

Hanley pointed to several recent incidents, including one where a passenger pulled a gun on an operator in front of police headquarters.

“There’s not certain areas where this violence is happening,” Hanley said. “It’s all over the city, and our operators are always watching their back.”

Hanley also focused on another attack that forced an operator to exit the bus from his window after a passenger crawled around the shield and over the dashboard.

“They’re scared to come to work,” Hanley said, referring to the drivers.

To help put workers’ fears at ease, the union is pushing for “full enclosure shields,” which include overhead coverage, to better protect workers from attacks. It’s also asking the city to implement a transit safety reporting system, similar to that of Toronto’s TTC Safe App, which would allow passengers to report crimes anonymously.

“It’s all levels of government that need to fund transit safety,” said Hanley. “Everybody has to come to the table and realize that transit safety is all levels of government’s responsibility, and if they don’t start realizing that, then the next death that happens of a passenger or one of our members is going to be blood on their hands.”

In response to the union’s demands, Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham called for an expansion of the city’s community safety team.

“Winnipeggers deserve a safe and reliable transit system, and I share the ATU’s concerns about the need to improve safety on our buses,” Gillingham said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “The community safety team has been a strong start, but it’s clear we need to expand this program to make a bigger impact.”

But Hanley said more needs to be done, especially when it comes to fare enforcement. According to the union, 90 per cent of those who commit violent acts on public transit don’t pay to ride.

“If there's no enforcement for them to pay a fare to ride a public service, then they're going to feel free to do whatever they want,” he said.

Hanley proposed having fare inspectors at various checkpoints and bus routes, as well as quicker response times by police and community safety team members when situations arise.

“We need to have the enforcement there when we need it, and the only way that we're going to have that is by having a dedicated transit police service for our service,” said Hanley.

However, Hanley said he knows the city is tightening its purse straps before it tables its budget next month.

“Anything is going to be better than nothing right now, and that’s the way we’re looking at it.”