Belleville Transit strike looms as deadline approaches

Contract talks are going down to the wire to avert a threatened walkout Friday by unionized transit workers in Belleville, Ont.

Management and representatives of Unifor Local 1839 have been bargaining for months without a deal so far.

The current contract was extended by one year because of the pandemic and is set to expire Thursday night.

The one-year rollover agreement signed during the pandemic was designed to prevent layoffs and secure 40-hour work weeks.

The city is asking those who rely on transit to make alternate arrangements for Friday, in the event of a work stoppage by bus operators.

The city of Belleville says in a release, “The city values the service that Belleville Transit provides and we are working hard to reach an agreement that respects both our transit workers and our city taxpayers.”

But Unifor says they’re frustrated and have resorted to a strike deadline because their proposal, submitted back on Feb. 1, was ignored.

“We’ve been waiting for 50 days for the employer to respond,” UNIFOR Assistant to the National President Chris MacDonald says in a release. “It’s no wonder transit workers are frustrated enough to set a strike deadline.”

“We’ve engaged in good faith bargaining but we can’t bargain by ourselves,” the statement continues.

The city says they have requested a Ministry of Labour mediator to help both sides negotiate.

It says updates will be made on the status of transit as they become available on the city’s website and social media feeds.

Editors note: Unifor represents some Global News employees across the country.