Go Transit workers have set a tentative strike date.
If the Amalgamated Transit Union and Go Transit do not reach a deal, bus drivers, ticket sellers, maintenance personnel, and office staff say they will begin their strike at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 7.
The decision was made after a meeting Saturday between the union's executive board and shop stewards.
Bus drivers will finish their shift that night before walking off the job so as not to leave any passengers stranded.
A notice posted on GO Transit's website Saturday said that the two sides will keep working to try and reach a settlement before the strike date.
In case of a strike, GO buses would remain parked but GO trains would continue to run as they are operated and maintained by other unions, the notice said.
However, picket lines might cause delays to the Go train schedule.
Bus customers should consider other means of travel including taking local transit and carpooling," GO Transit said in a statement on their website. "Train customers should buy their monthly pass in advance to avoid ticketing lineups if a strike occurs."
Customers would be able to view any transit delays or disruptions on the GO Transit website.
The workers have been without a contract since June 1, 2007 but on Dec. 6, the two sides reached a tentative agreement.
However, the union rejected that deal. The two sides sat at the negotiating table Wednesday but talks broke down after the union rejected a second tentative agreement by 70 per cent.
Wages, pension benefits and a new job evaluation process are the main points of contention between the two sides.
GO Transit moves about 165,000 commuters every day, with its 1,800 buses transporting about 30,000 passengers. About 75 per cent of riders travel to and from Toronto.
