A week after transit workers went on strike in Hamilton, Ont., the dispute is over with city negotiators and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 coming to an agreement early Thursday.
Statements from both the ATU and Mayor Andrea Horwath said the “last-minute tentative agreement” was reached around 2 a.m.
No details of the agreement have been shared since it still needs to be presented to union members in a soon-to-be-called ratification meeting.
However, union executives say maintenance workers will be back on the job Thursday and bus operators will return to their routes for regular shifts on Friday.
President Eric Tuck says details of the tentative agreement will be kept under wraps for now but the executive will be recommending members accept the deal.
“In the end, we came up with a deal that I think is a win for my members as well as a win for us,” he said.
Tuck says ratification may take a week to 10 days and suggested there was “significant compromise on both sides of the table” in the closing of the agreement.
“Members still have to see the deal and have to vote on it,” Tuck explained.
“We will make those arrangements as quickly as possible, but just have to have 48 hours to review the offer, we have to book a facility and get it printed up.”
Horwath thanked residents for their patience over the past seven days as well as colleagues, a bargaining team and the ATU for “achieving a fair and speedy resolution.”
More to come