Hamilton transit to strike tomorrow, here’s what you need to know

Hamilton residents are being advised to arrange alternative travel arrangements tomorrow as transit workers prepare to strike.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 will be going on strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. following a 94 per cent vote to reject the city’s latest bargaining offer.

“The fact is our members know their value, and together we all know what transit workers face on the job and what they deliver to this city, day after day,” ATU Local 107 President Eric Tuck said in a news release. “Our expertise and skills are in demand, and we refuse to be left behind while bureaucrats benefit with record raises and the ability to work from home two-to-three days a week. Our transit workers were on the frontlines during the pandemic, and we don’t have the luxury of working from home.”

The city offered a nearly identical settlement to ATU Local 107 that was accepted by composite union CUPE 5167 that represents over 4000 workers earlier this fall. CUPE 5167 consists of seven units, including the Hamilton International Airport, the city, Disabled and Aged Regional Transportation System, Good Shepard, Macassa and Wentworth Lodges, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and St. Matthew’s House.

The offer to ATU Local 107 included a salary increase of 12.75 per cent over four years, with a 3.75 per cent increase in the first year and 3 per cent increase in the subsequent years. 

ATU Local 107 rejected the offer, asking for a salary increase of 21.69 per cent over the next four years to meet a base annual salary of $86,860.

In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said she was “disappointed” by the impending transit disruption, but believes the dispute can be resolved “quickly.”

“This is a labour town, and I believe deeply in the collective bargaining process and continue to encourage both sides to engage meaningfully in the best interests of transit workers and our city,” Horwath’s statement read in part.

There are nearly 900 transit workers in the City of Hamilton.

WHY ARE TRANSIT WORKERS STRIKING

The ATU Local 107 and the City of Hamilton have been in negotiations since February 2023. Their last Collective Agreement expired in December 2022.

Aside from wage increases, ATU Local 107 members would like to see increased safety measures on the job, standardized working hours with shifts beginning and ending at the same location, and access to restrooms along transit routes.

In addition, the union claimed in a news release that non-union staff were offered wage increases of up to 15 per cent, adding to the frustration of its members.

“The union argues that it is extremely difficult to hire and retain new transit workers when the wages do not keep pace with the economic times, and when neighbouring transit agencies such as Brampton, Mississauga’s Mi-Way, Toronto’s TTC, and GO Transit pay far more in superior wage packages,” the release notes.

According to the City of Hamilton, its transit workers are among the third highest paid in the province, behind Mississauga and Brampton.

The wage increase offered by the union would “create significant instability in the labour relations environment,” the city said in a news release. It also states that the increase would be “unsustainable” for Hamilton taxpayers.

“We value the relationship with all of our unions, and we are confident that we will overcome this impasse to find an agreement that is fair for workers and sustainable for taxpayers,” Acting City Manager Carlyle Khan said.

While a previous legislation under the Liberal government banned transit workers from walking off of the job, an Ontario Superior Court judge recently allowed transit workers the right to strike. Without being considered an essential service, a strike could last as long as needed for an agreement to be made.

The city says that it is taking “all measures” to reduce the impact of the transit disruption on the city, and is advising residents to make alternative travel arrangements such as carpooling, biking, and working from home where possible.