THUNDER BAY – The latest word from City Hall is that their goal is averting a transit strike. “The City of Thunder Bay is ready and willing to meet at any time with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 966 to continue negotiations”, says City Manager Tim Commisso. The conciliator is expected to convene a meeting before ATU is in a legal strike position, which could be as early as mid-September.
The city shares that “City Council has been fully updated on the status of negotiations and has given Administration clear direction to achieve a fair and equitable settlement during these uncertain economic times. Council sets the mandate for negotiations with the City’s bargaining units including ATU. Since 2009 alone, five other contracts have been settled through collective bargaining”.
“Our No. 1 objective is to maintain service and to let the residents and organizations who rely on Transit know that we are doing all we can,” the City Manager continued. “We remain committed to a fair, negotiated settlement.
“Our Transit operators provide a vital service to our riders, whether they’re residents getting to work, young people getting to school or seniors getting to medical appointments. The work of our Transit staff – and the work of all City employees – is important and appreciated.”
ATU Local 966 represents more than 100 full-time Transit operators, 24 maintenance employees and 10 part-time relief operators.