An agreement between Hamilton, Ont. and the union that represents its transit workers remains distant after the city revealed it will seek a formal no-board notice from the Minister of Labour.
The action will trigger a 17-day countdown allowing either the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 to go on strike or the city to lock out unionized Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) workers if a deal isn’t reached.
“The city has filed for a no-board due to the goals of hastening the process and expediting an agreement,” a release from city hall said. “The city remains committed to a negotiated settlement.”
Both parties have been negotiating since February and have met on 23 different days for bargaining sessions.
The two sides met with a conciliator, appointed by the Minister of Labour, on Wednesday with still no deal.
Failing a settlement, the union told Global News 99 per cent of its members are in favour of striking following a late August vote.
The ATU represents some 850 HSR transit workers, including drivers and mechanics, and has been working without a collective agreement since December 2022.
Wages, safety and light rail transit (LRT) job protections are the key issues, with the union pointing to double-digit increases it says senior city administrators recently received from the city.
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