WINNIPEG – Some Winnipeg Transit buses are sitting idle as unionized staff refuse to work voluntary overtime as part of a lingering labour dispute.
Global News learned Monday that 22 buses that were scheduled to run during the morning rush hour did not operate. A source familiar with Transit operations said a typical day would see 3 or 4 scheduled buses sidelined, usually due to last minute sick calls.
Winnipeg Transit runs about 500 buses during rush hour.
A city spokesperson told Global News in an email Monday that cancellations “were applied to routes with frequent service and where alternate routes helped provide similar service. As such, few delays were experienced.”
The city declined to provide specific details on numbers of bus cancellations or length of delays, or make anyone available for an interview.
Officials were more forthcoming Tuesday: a spokesperson reported in an email that 16 buses did not operate during the morning rush. “Most of the buses operated on short runs that had high frequency of service or other alternative service in an effort to minimize disruption to the public,” a spokesperson said. The disruptions Tuesday amounted to 25.5 hours of service not provided out of 5400 hours scheduled.
Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union local 1505 rejected a contract offer from the city April 17th and are in a legal strike position. Negotiations are set to continue with the help of a conciliator.
Unionized staff began refusing voluntary overtime on April 27 as part of the dispute. The city reported April 28 that 14 buses were cancelled.
The ATU’s current contract with the City of Winnipeg expired January 17, 2015.The last Transit strike in Winnipeg was in 1976.
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