Calgary and the Transit Union Face Off

The war between the city and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 is reaching a boiling point. Now mud-slinging has been taken to new extremes with ads in the paper and a he-did-it-first-so-I'm doing-it-back response as seen in young children. Both sides of the negotiating table have taken off the kid-gloves.

Since June 2006, the 2400 members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 have worked without a contract. While negotiations are stalemated, with each side blaming the other, it is an ad placed by the city in local newspapers that has created the current uproar.

Mike Mahar, president of Local 583 claims the ad is misleading,. "They still have a number of concessions on the table, but the way they've worded the ad is that it's the union that rejected the latest offer."

Not so, according to Mahar. The city turned down the union's counter offer.

Vickie Megrath, city spokesperson, disagrees."We have a responsibility to share information with our employees, transit users and the taxpayers of Calgary and this ad was a way to let them know what the city is offering." Although Megrath does acknowledge that the union did make a counter offer.

So in retaliation to the city's ad, the union will responding with an ad of their own. And a rally with supporting unions in attendance to show solidairity.

And what is this huge gulf of differences over? Primarily wages. The transit workers are asking for three 5% pay raises over 30 months. The city is willing to go one 3% increase followed by two 3.5 % increases. Other issues include shuttle buses and seniority.

Transit union members also point out, that while wages are made the current scapegoat of the stalemate, it's much more than that. The city currently pays different hourly rates between what is classes as bus drivers and shuttle drivers. The city is seeking to purchase 15 new shuttles with a capacity only a cuple dozen less than a full bus. Former bus routes are expected by the union to become shuttle routes, resulting in a $10 an hour less pay to the shuttle driver. And bus drivers aren't allowed under union rules to drive the shuttles. And for $10 less an hour, why would they want to? Because it's suggested that 400 bus drivers would either be forced to change their licensing or be "laid off".

Union members have let slip that if the city cancels the shuttle order, the contract may go through.

Other unions working with city contracts are rallying behind their transit union fellows.

Peter Marsden, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 38, adds "It just seems like the city treats us like indentured servants." While the Local 38 is locked in to their contract until 2009, nothing forbids them from showing their support of Local 583.