By Lasia Kretzel

No end to Saskatoon transit lockout

Oct 11, 2014 | 8:31 AM

Despite a third week of negotiations and the help of a prominent mediator, the City of Saskatoon and the transit union “remain a very long ways apart” on a new contract to end the lockout and bring back buses.

The city and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) local 615 met again on Friday, with the help of mediator Vince Ready, to try and get buses running after the Thanksgiving long weekend but were unsuccessful in finding common ground.

“We remain a very long ways apart between what ATU is looking for and what the city has offered,” transportation and utilities manager Jeff Jorgenson said Friday night.

On Friday, the city offered to end the lockout if the union agreed three conditions: to no more lockouts or strikes until a contract is reached; to the pension changes enacted by city council last week; and to withdraw their Labour Relations Board (LRB) application which challenges the legality of the lockout.

Multiple calls to the union went unanswered but their twitter account tweeted that the union “rejected and counter offered” the city with a “time sensitive” offer set to expire on Monday.

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Jorgenson says union’s offer has nothing to do with city’s requirements to end lockout and the city will be rejecting the counteroffer. 

Jorgenson said wages continue to be the main issue between the two parties. While, according to Jorgenson, the union made an offer of just under a 19 per cent increase over four years, the city is sticking to 10.38 per cent over four years.

Meanwhile the union, says it was unlawful for the city to make changes to the general pension fund – including the transit union’s pension – while the labour board had a pending unfair labour practice application in front of them.

In addition, under the Saskatchewan Employment Act, it’s considered unfair labour practice for an employer to issue a lockout or a union to go on strike while an application is pending before the LRB..

Jorgenson said Ready is “tentatively” scheduled to return to Saskatoon late next week. 

Talks aren’t scheduled to resume until the end of the LRB hearing on the legality of the lockout on Tuesday and Wednesday, however the city could be forced to end the lockout if the board rules the lockout illegal.

The lockout has now been 21 days long.

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