The union representing Winnipeg School Division bus drivers say they need binding arbitration as talks with the province have broken down.
The bus drivers have been on strike since Sept. 8 over wages, which are the main sticking point in negotiations.
UFCW 832 said there was a meeting with the province on Sept. 18, but “that resulted with no movement.”
The strike of 90 drivers has impacted about 2,300 students who rely on the bus system to get to and from school.
Bea Bruske, secretary-treasurer for the UFCW local, said a few weeks ago some progress has been made on minor issues, but the wages one remains.
“These are employees who have had already one year of no collective agreement that they’ve been working with, and while the parties have been in bargaining for some time and have been able to agree on some of the more minor language-cleanup type of issues, there aren’t really any other significant financial issues that are outstanding,” Bruske said.
“Wages are what this is coming down to.”
Bus drivers in the division have been without a collective bargaining contract since June of 2019.
Winnipeg School Division has offered drivers raises of 0 per cent, 0.75 per cent and 1 per cent over the next four years, as mandated by the province.
Radean Carter, spokesperson for the division, said “WSD believes bargaining is best done at the bargaining table and that’s the process the school division is continuing to follow. We have nothing further to add.”
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