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Talks to avert potential HSR strike/lockout continue Wednesday

Negotiations to avert a potential bus strike in Hamilton are scheduled to continue Wednesday. City of Hamilton

Contract talks will resume Wednesday in a bid to avert a potential job action involving Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) employees.

The City of Hamilton and Local 107 of the Amalgamated Transit Union will be trying to reach an agreement on wages as they head back to the bargaining table.

ATU Local 107 president Eric Tuck says the union has two offers on the table, either a two per cent annual wage increase over four years or roughly 1.8 per cent annually as part of a five-year deal.

The two sides will be in a legal strike/lockout position at one minute past midnight on Thursday morning.

Tuck adds that no strike date has been set by the ATU and any escalating job action, if necessary, would start with a cutting of overtime by drivers.

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He also indicates that any job action would likely begin in the new year to “give the passengers some notice” and because “we wouldn’t want to interrupt anybody’s Christmas.”

Tuck stresses that “we can come out of this with an agreement, hopefully for five years so we have that stability for our passengers.”

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