Transit workers locked out, Guelph buses grounded

City buses in Guelph are grounded Monday morning.

Transit workers are locked out after they rejected a tentative agreement reached last week between the city and their union, ATU Local 1189.

Guelph’s Chief Administrative Officer Ann Pappert says she is she is “extremely disappointed” and “we know this will create enormous hardship for transit riders and our community.”

Mobility service will still operate for pre-booked medical services only.

On July 13 a deal was signed to increase wages from 6.4% over four years to 6.8%.

The city says an increase any higher than that would result in transit rates and property taxes going up.

The raise works out to a 1.7% increase each year, which Pappert says is higher than the one Grand River Transit employees can expect.  They’re looking at a 1.5% pay hike annually.

The other concerns from the union were respect in the workplace, and working conditions, which the city says “falls outside the confines of a collective bargaining agreement.”

The city says it will provide refunds for the second half of July for all pass holders, starting Wednesday.

Refunds will be handed out at City Hall, Evergreen Seniors Community Centre, Victoria Road Recreation Centre, and West End Community Centre.

The city says there are two options for a refund: a 50% refund for the July 2014 pass in the same form of payment as the original pass purchase; or 50% of the pass value being placed towards a future month’s pass, to be used by the end of the year.

Listen to the full interview with 570’s Lisa Drew and Guelph CAO Ann Pappert here:

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