Hamilton’s public transit workers have rejected the City’s “final offer” and will begin strike action on Thursday morning.
“The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 is hereby informing all Hamiltonians that their members have rejected the last offer from their employer, Hamilton Street Railway (HSR). As a result, there will be a legal strike of the HSR transit system effective November 9th from 12:01 am,” says ATU 107 President Eric Tuck.
94 percent of the union’s membership voted for strike action over two days of voting this weekend.
[Amalgamated Transit Union International VP Ken Wilson posted photos of the line-up Sunday morning on X (formerly Twitter)]
The union seeks wage increases that respond to cost-of-living inflation, working condition improvements, and firm contract language stating HSR workers will operate the planned B-Line LRT.
The City’s final wage offer is 3.75 percent for 2023, and 3 percent in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
This is the same amount the City’s largest union, CUPE 5167, accepted in their new contract in August.
Tuck says the offer is insufficient, noting the City’s management staff were given up to a 14 percent single-year wage increase.
“We refuse to be left behind while bureaucrats benefit with record raises and the ability to work from home 2-3 days a week. Our transit workers were on the frontlines during the pandemic, and we don’t have the luxury of working from home,” said Tuck.
HSR workers seek 7 percent in 2023, and 4 percent each year in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
“The frustration of workers comes from double-digit increases of up to 15% going to highly paid Non-Union staff while offering transit workers a 3.2% increase that does not address the shortfalls to transit operators, administrative and skilled trades maintenance staff,” Tuck says.
The union is seeking increased safety and access to clean washrooms.
“Our working conditions are far different than those working from an office setting or from home. We have no security or safety from assaults. We don’t work 9 to 5 with standard 8 hour shifts starting and finishing in the same location, and we don’t have ready access to restrooms along transit routes.”
The City began the countdown towards a strike in September when it applied to the Ministry of Labour for a no-board notice. The notice was granted, with the City legally able to lock out workers and the union in a legal strike position on October 25.
City Council met in closed session on Wednesday to discuss the pending HSR labour disruption.
This will be the first HSR strike since November 1998, when HSR workers were out on the picket lines for 12 weeks.
There are budgetary savings for the City of Hamilton during a strike. The City has not publicly disclosed this figure.
School Boards Prepare Alternative Transportation Plans
Hamilton’s school boards state they have “begun to prepare a plan to transport those students who have an HWDSB or HWCDSB issued HSR Semester Pass” and “will require four days to implement the alternative transportation for the affected students.”
Updates on school transportation will be provided by Hamilton Wentworth Student Transportation Services.
DARTS will Continue Operating
Hamilton’s paratransit DARTS service will continue to operate.
DARTS workers are represented by CUPE 5167.
DARTS users may experience challenges booking trips due to increased demand for rides with the service.
Union Message to HSR Riders
HSR operators are handing out pamphlets encouraging Hamiltonians to contact their councillors to tell them to “demand further talks and allocate the resources necessary to reach a fair deal and keep service going.”
The union is expected to hold a rally on Thursday.
Service Will Operate Until 2:30 a.m. on Thursday
HSR buses will operate until the end of Wednesday’s service, meaning the final buses at 1:20 a.m. will operate as scheduled on Thursday.
Production Details v. 1.1.0 Published: November 5, 2023 Last edited: November 5, 2023 Author: Joey Coleman Edit Record v. 1.0.0 original version v. 1.1.0 grammatical improvements and typos
Give the hsr drivers what they want and end this strike before it starts
Just lovely. Way to completely screw people over. Can’t strike and at least offer reduced hours of operation. Also non union get 15% increases when union only get 4% and you don’t think the union has something to do with that
Good for them, what a slap in the face to give management 14% for doing —- all while drivers have to deal with the much heavier burden of being public facing. I hope they get what they deserve. It just sucks for those who rely on transit.
I fully believe the HSR should be made an essential service. Many people in this city(including myself) depend on it as their only means of transportation, and this disruption will cause big problems. Not all of us drive or can afford a taxi to get around.
This strike is ridiculous, I rely everyday on the HSR drivers to get me to work and back home and take me anywhere else I need to go when I go grocery shopping etc. I am a low income single person who cannot afford to take ubers or taxi everyday to work and my job is way to far to walk. I know how hard these bus drivers work and the conditions and harassment they go through on a daily basis, they deserve everything they are asking for. They just don’t drive the bus, they also risk their lives everyday to get the community where they need to go. Please lets settle this and give in to what they are asking for and deserve.
That’s good they should go on strike it’s ridiculous that the companies are so cheap these days and they pay us very little to nothing well everything just goes up and up and you see these movie stars they get millions in billions for doing absolutely nothing so yeah, go on strike you deserve.
Why are you doing having seniors
Pay bus fare
You always have excuses for low income families as well.
I’m on ODSP and I don’t have money for presto
Even any money to pay for the bus ride to and from
Medical visits and to go see my mom who is in LTC
Bad enough we have it hard to get around.
What are you going to do for us.
You and the 3 tier government are always
Making like life harder for us.
Well this is not happy news for alot of people more for the ones that need the bus that work but also the ones that depend on the bus to go get a hot meal that started this month I know my self for one I’m lucky to eat once a day and not even a meal soup Mr noodles extra so was so looking forward to being able to have a hot meal wow
Is the HSR going to pay for us that need to pay for alternative ways to work. I live atheist 2 hours from work walking and I have health issues!!
It is truly unfortunate how the public is inconvenienced on account of greed by management and union workers. No one deserves such high increases. I work for a private sector and even though inflation. Has reacge8f a record high our pay increase is 2 percent or less based on MPA and we work so hard. It’s not fair that our tax dollars should be abused
Eve, I am wondering if you were as vocal when non-union staff and managers received two wage increases this year, some of them as high as 15% total, Those people who on average make in excess of $100,000. a year.
Drivers are taxpayers as well. Striking proves a point, it inconveniences many to prove the work being done is required and should be paid fairly. Private sector non-union employees don’t have the option to strike and fight for what they are worth, they have to accept the smaller increases. Therefore, union and public service workers strike to fight for better pay and working conditions so it will trickle down to the private sector.
I’m sorry it will inconvenience you, I also take the bus to work but I will support my amazing bus drivers and their colleagues even though I will also be inconvenienced.