Guelph Transit Service suspended as of Monday morning
Posted Jul 13, 2014 06:18:58 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The City of Guelph is locking out the 205 members of ATU Local 1189, and suspending traditional Guelph Transit service as of 12:01 AM tomorrow morning (Monday).
The only exception is Guelph Transit Mobility Service, which will transport passengers to pre-booked medical appointments during the labour disruption.
Bus pass holders can receive a refund for the rest of July starting Tuesday (July 15) at City Hall.
Mayor Karen Farbridge says, in a release, “the decision to lock out [their] transit employees was not made lightly.”
The union is asking for wage parity with Grand River Transit, which Guelph council says will cost taxpayers $4.6-million over the next three years — equal to a 2.3 per cent tax increase.
The city is offering a 6.4% wage increase over 4 years, while the union is requesting up to 30 more staff.
The City’s final offer would mean another nearly $1-million dollars added to the budget, equal to a 0.5% tax increase.
Talks have been going on for the last year and a half, including 3 weeks of negotiations and seven days with a provincially-appointed concilator.
Council hope this will not affect too many riders, as ridership is lower in the summer than the fall.
