Calgary Commuters Spared For The Moment
June 3rd, 2007 posted by WillsMomCommuters can release the breath they’ve been holding since the talks between Calgary and the transit union began to get nasty. Union members voted 69% to accept the city’s last minute deal.
In perhaps what is a fitting finale for this upheaval, Mayor Dave Bronconnier described the majority of the union members (1,464 voted) were in support of the deal which offered a 12% pay raise. He also points out that perhaps the bus and the C-Train drivers didn’t really want to strike after all.
“I don’t believe our employees really wanted to go on strike – they wanted a fair settlement and they got one.”
While Mike Mahar, the president of the transit union, wasn’t nearly so optimistic about the outcome. The city has been accused of hard lining and bullying the union with very brutal tactics. (Recall the newspaper ads…)
“I think they’ve got a bitter taste in their mouths,” said Mahar, “It’s not the perfect contract — you’re not going to get the perfect deal from the City of Calgary.”
Hopefully the last statement will not prove as true for the paramedics as they begin their negotiations with the city this week.
As for the issue of the shuttlebuses… that was swept off the table in order to get a deal to go through. The issue will certainly be raised when the shuttles are delivered to the city.
Source: Calgary Sun
June 5th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
[…] we’d seen the last of the city versus the union and strike threats, you thought wrong. The transit bus contract issue has been solved but a new dilemma has […]