GO bus service suspended as operators, station attendants, and other workers walk off the job

GO bus service has been suspended as roughly 2,200 bus operators, station attendants, and other employees are on strike.

The job action began at 12:01 a.m. today.

Despite the labour disruption, trains will remain operational and stations are open.

Contracts talks have been underway since last April between the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1587 and Metrolinx, the provincial agency that manages and integrates road and public transportation in the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe areas. The union members have been without a contract since June 1.

In a statement issued late last night, ATU Local 1587 said it was unable to secure a deal with the employer.

Contract talks broke down over safety concerns, specifically related to hiring contract workers from outside companies, ATU Local 1587 president Rob Cormier said.

“Negotiations have failed because Metrolinx failed to come to the table with a reasonable offer to address any of our key issues,” he said in the statement.

“Protections against contracting out are imperative to ensure that experienced workers are on the job running GO Transit safely and efficiently. Without these protections, Metrolinx can contract to outside companies which will hire inexperienced workers in precarious, non-union positions.”

Speaking with the media Monday morning outside Maple Leaf Square, Cormier said it’s been exactly seven months since his side started negotiating a new contract with Metrolinx.

“We thought we were closer than we were (to reaching a deal),” he admitted.

“Our workers aren’t happy and they don’t want to be here.”

Manny Sforza, ATU’s international vice-president, provided a bit of a rundown on how collective bargaining fell apart over the weekend with Metrolinx.

Reiterating that ATU did “not want to go on strike,” Sforza said he was “extremely hopeful” when talks ended late Saturday afternoon that both parties would come back to the table the next morning with revisions on three key items and wrap things up well in time for the midnight Sunday strike deadline.

Sforza said the union grew increasingly frustrated when eight hours before the deadline Metrolinx said they needed more time and asked ATU to come back Monday.

“It was crystal clear to us they did not want to reach an agreement,” he said, adding at that point the union had no option but to strike.

“ATU will be filing a complaint with the Ministry of Labour against Metrolinx for bad-faith bargaining,” Sforza added, noting like any other corporation they should be held responsible for their actions.

“It was clear to us (Metrolinx) did not want to reach an agreement.”

Metrolinx, meanwhile, said it was the union that walked away from weekend talks and is refusing to return to the bargaining table today.

Spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins, in a statement, said she was hopeful both sides would come to an agreement after they offered 67 contract “enhancements.”

She said Metrolinx appreciates that the union is concerned about safety and job security, but said they have put steps in place to allay those concerns.

"For 22 years, we have had language in the agreement that protects the employment security of our ATU employees," said Aikins, adding Metrolinx remains "open to discussing ways forward" with the union.

"This long-standing protection will continue to protect existing staff as well as new hires joining Metrolinx."

Speaking with CP24 earlier this morning, Aikins said the transportation agency is “ready and willing to bargain at any moment with the union.”

She said it was actually ATU who presented a late-day proposal with some new language on Sunday and the request for more time comes because the agency needs to review it.

Nonetheless, Aikins said she believes a deal can be reached with ATU, adding Metrolinx is also willing to discuss whatever new wording the union might have in mind.

“They are very valued employees and we want to work this through,” she said, urging GO passengers to plan ahead and leave lots of extra time for their trip.

Commuters can get the latest updates on the job action by visiting GO Transit website and social media accounts.

The GO Transit strike comes just three days after 55,000 education workers in Ontario began job action after their union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, failed to reach a contract agreement with the provincial government.

With files from The Canadian Press.