GO Transit bus drivers, station attendants, safety officers step closer to strike position

More than 2,000 bus operators, station attendants, safety officers, and maintenance and office workers with GO Transit are a step closer to a legal strike position, CityNews has learned.

A source with knowledge of the issue told CityNews a “no-board” report was issued by the Ontario Ministry of Labour within the past week.

The report, which comes after contract talks and a subsequent conciliation process fails, starts the countdown to a legal strike or lockout position for workers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1587. The deadline comes at the end of September.

Under Ontario’s labour laws, both sides are obligated to try to keep negotiating in good faith after a “no-board” report is issued.

GO Transit train crews aren’t impacted by this labour action as they are represented by a different union.

CityNews contacted Metrolinx, the provincial entity that oversees GO Transit, to ask about negotiations, the contract offer made to the union and workers, and a potential strike or lockout.

A spokesperson for the organization said negotiations with ATU Local 1587 are ongoing and that provincial officials are “hopeful” an agreement will be reached by the deadline.

“As these conversations continue, we want to assure our customers that GO Bus services are continuing to operate as scheduled,” a brief statement said.

RELATED: GO Transit workers threaten strike that could halt bus service; Staffing shortages cancel train trips

In August, union officials accused Metrolinx of refusing to negotiate on critical issues, including job security, wages and improved work-life balance, as well as stalling negotiations.

ATU Local 1587 president Rob Cormier said at the time that 93 per cent of members who voted opted in favour of a strike mandate. It was noted the collective agreement expired on June 1.

CityNews contacted ATU Local 1587 on Monday and Cormier said Tuesday afternoon that job security was the only major issue left to sort out. He said Ontario’s Bill 124 has hindered the ability to negotiate increases that keep up with inflation and that there have been minor improvements to the work-life balance issues union officials raised.

“Our workers have spoken up. We’ve seen stuff go out the door that was done previously by us and we just want to make sure that work stays ours,” he said in an interview, adding their concerns primarily affect new hires.

“We have some language that protects those on the job right now, but it gives the employer to potentially contract out stuff we currently do so long as our members aren’t laid off because of it. So we’re just looking for some security for the future.”

Cormier said despite the technical ability to be off the job when October starts, negotiation meetings with Metrolinx are set to take place on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3.

“We respect … everybody that rides and the last thing we want to do as a union is disrupt that,” he said.

“That clock ticking isn’t essentially at 12:01 on Oct. 1 ATU Local 1587 will be on strike — that’s not our intent.

“We’re hopeful we can find some sort of common ground that we can move forward and ratify this contract.”

With files from Michael Ranger and The Canadian Press