Transit service in Durham region to end early Friday ahead of potential strike
Workers could walk off the job at midnight as contract negotiations stal
Bus service in Durham region will end early Friday night as bus drivers prepare to walk off the job at midnight.
Unifor Local 222, which represents workers at Durham Regional Transit, will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 7.
The union and transit agency have been in collective bargaining negotiations since March 31, but haven't been able to reach an agreement, says an update from Durham Regional Transit posted to its website.
To prepare for a potential service disruption if transit workers go on strike, the transit agency says it will end bus service by 11 p.m. Friday.
If a strike doesn't happen, regular bus service will resume Saturday.
The Durham Region Transit Commission is expected to present a final offer to the bargaining committee on Thursday, but the union is not confident it will be enough to deter strike action, Unifor said in a news release.
Wages are a key sticking point in the contract negotiations, with the union arguing that transit workers in surrounding "905-area code" municipalities like Mississauga and Brampton earn up to $5 more per hour than Durham Region Transit employees for doing the same work, despite working in communities with similar population sizes and growth projections.
"We are fighting tirelessly to close this unjust wage gap and secure a fair contract that recognizes the hard work, dedication and professionalism of DRT members," said Unifor Local 222 President Jeff Gray in the Unifor news release.
Members voted 98 per cent in support of taking strike action, if necessary, on May 21, the news release says.
Durham Region Transit provides service for Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby.