Edmonton's accessible bus drivers approve strike mandate

Drivers of Edmonton's accessible buses have voted to take strike action after negotiations with the city over pay and other issues broke down.

Local 569 of the Amalgamated Transit Union is in contract negotiations with the City of Edmonton on behalf of drivers with Edmonton's Dedicated Accessible Transit Service(DATS).

Members voted unanimously Saturday to approve a strike mandate. On Friday evening, drivers rallied outside city hall.

DATS is a door-to-door transportation service for people who can't use regular transit because of physical or cognitive disabilities. The service is run by Edmonton Transit Service (ETS).

About 130 DATS drivers have been without a contract since December 2021.

If negotiations continue to falter, work stoppages could begin in a few weeks, Steve Bradshaw, president of ATU Local 569, said Monday.

Bradshaw said the city has been unwilling to negotiate.

Saturday's vote was a sign of the growing frustration among members, he said.

"A plan is in place to conduct work stoppages," he said. "There's a hope that we'll never get to that point. Hope is not a strategy."

In a statement Monday,the City of Edmonton said Edmontonians"should beassured that lawful labour disruption is not imminent." The city is committed to reaching a new collective agreement that is "fair and equitable" for the union, the city and taxpayers, the statement said.

"The city has, and will continue to, bargained fairly and in a fiscally responsible manner," it said. "Throughout the bargaining process,DATSservice will continue to be available."

Bradshaw said that despite the mandate, the union and the city are in mediation. The union is open to compromise, he said.

He said he is hopeful the city will be willing to accept the union's proposal to settle the labour dispute.

If mediation fails, the union will commence a 14-day cooling off period, he said. Following that, the union would issue a three-day strike notice, he said.

"It all depends on whether or not the city is prepared to negotiate," Bradshaw said.

"If they're not, if they're putting up that brick wall again, then we'll start to move toward action right away."

The largest sticking point for members is pay equity, Bradshaw said.

Members are asking for about $2.80 more per hour to bring their pay up to par with other city transit drivers.

Pay rates for Edmonton bus drivers vary according to seniority. After about three years on the job, DATS drivers earn $33.77 per hour while conventional ETS drivers get $36.45.

For drivers working full-time, that could mean an annual difference of more than $5,000.

Bradshaw said DATS drivers need to be fairly compensated for the demands of the job, which include helping people with mobility issues on and off the bus.

"Their work is far more physical than that of a conventional transit operator," he said.

"It also has a caregiver role A lot of their clients, they can't be left alone. You can't just put them off the bus and drive away."

'Shutdown'not on table

If a strike does happen, it would not mean a full stop to the service, Bradshaw said.

Minimal staffing of routes would be maintained, he said. Drivers are not interested in leaving people who rely on the service stranded, he said.

"A full work stoppage is untenable for this membership," he said.

"The full impact of [a strike] would be significant, but it's not going to be total shutdown. They care too much to do that."