A final contract offer from the city will not be voted on by Saskatoon Transit employees.
On Sunday, members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 615 voted 92.4 per cent against voting on a new contract.
“There’s two items in the city’s proposal that we do not agree with nor do we recommend accepting,” said ATU Local 605 president Jim Yakubowski.
“That’s allowing the city to cap their rates and the dispute resolution mechanism.”
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Wages and pensions have been core issues, with the city stating it wants the flexibility to renegotiate pensions in the event there is a funding shortfall.
CatherineGryba, the city’s general manager of corporate performance, said they were disappointed with the decision.
“I’ve said it before, but in the current economic downturn, a 10 per cent wage increase is certainly above what many workers would receive elsewhere in the marketplace,” Gryba said in a statement.
The two sides said they have exchanged emails but no dates have been set on when they will return to the contract table.
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Transit workers are in a legal strike position but to date no action has been taken.
City officials said they are committed to maintaining full transit service to customers.
Unionized Saskatoon Transit workers have been without a contract since December 2012.
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