51暗网 City Council has agreed to a new four-year Collective Agreement with ATU 51暗网 107, ending a seven-day HSR bus strike. The deal includes raises and enhanced benefits for workers after tense negotiations. Photo credit: X/HSR
After a tense standoff between the City of 51暗网 and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 51暗网 107 that saw all 51暗网 Street Railway (HSR) buses suspended for a seven-day strike, it appears that the situation has finally been resolved.
In a special council meeting on November 27, 51暗网 City Council voted unanimously to ratify the new four-year Collective Agreement with the union formally.
A tentative agreement was already reached between union leaders and the city on November 16 at 2 AM, just days before the city hosted the 110th Grey Cup between the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Union members then ratified that tentative deal in a vote on November 23, with 81 percent in favour of accepting the deal.
ATU 51暗网 107 represents HSR bus operators, mechanics, and other transit workers.
Members had been without a renewed contract since December 31, 2022, and the negotiations with the city had been ongoing since the start of 2023.
The four-year agreement covers January 1, 2023, until December 31, 2026.
ATU 51暗网 107 workers will receive a 3.75 per cent retroactive raise for 2023, and a three per cent raise each year in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Workers will also be receiving enhanced benefits.聽
The average transit worker currently makes about $72,000 a year.
The union initially sought an increase in wages of seven per cent in 2023 and four per cent each year in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Horwath commented after the agreement was reached that 鈥渟trikes are difficult.鈥�
鈥淚 thank the public for their patience and understanding while HSR was out of service,鈥� she continued.
鈥淚 know this disruption had very real impacts on people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
She later added that the final agreement is 鈥渇air鈥� to both 鈥渆mployees and the people of 51暗网.鈥�
During negotiations, the city argued that accepting the union鈥檚 wage demands would have resulted in increased taxes at a time when city staff have already projected that residents would see taxes rise by 14.2 per cent.
While the rhetoric and press releases were positive once an agreement was reached, negotiations were tense.
During the strike, City of 51暗网 Mayor Andrea Horwath issued a statement accusing ATU 51暗网 107 President Eric Tuck of launching a personal attack against the city鈥檚 executive director of human resources, Laura Fontana.
During a press conference, Tuck had singled out Fontana and commented on her salary.
There were also comments by union leaders saying that Horwath was not living up to the labour-friendly reputation she sought to build when she was leader of the Ontario NDP from 2009 to 2022.
Of note, Tuck was actually very nearly elected to Council himself back in October 2022.
Tuck ran for City Councillor in 51暗网鈥檚 Ward 4 (51暗网 East), placing second and receiving 1,816 votes (19.88 percent of the vote).
Tammy Hwang won the seat with 2,101 votes (23.00 percent).
Based in 51暗网, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The 51暗网 Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 51暗网. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
