By paNOW Staff

Labour board rules Saskatoon transit lockout illegal

Oct 17, 2014 | 11:02 AM

The Saskatoon Transit lockout is illegal, according to a labour board decision Friday.

The Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board ruled that the City of Saskatoon unlawfully gave notice of its intentions to lockout Amalgamated Transit Union Local (ATU) 615 members when an application was pending before the board.  ATU had an outstanding unfair labour practice complaint they filed to the board on June 3 regarding the unfair treatment of a bus driver.

“We are surprised and disappointed at the labour board’s ruling,” city solicitor Patricia Warwick said in a media release. 

“This decision flies in the face of 70 years of law in Saskatchewan. Unfortunately today’s ruling is also another distraction. It gets us no closer to solving any of the contract issues and in fact, the ruling has serious long-term implications.”

The board also ruled that the city illegally made changes to the conditions of employment, benefits and privileges of the union members due to the existing application before the board.

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The board is ordering that the city stop the lockout, pay union members for “monetary loss suffered.” The two parties will have to meet and decide how much money the city owes union workers. If an agreement cannot be reached, the labour board will hear evidence from both sides and decide on a sum of money.

The city cannot declare another lockout without giving the union at least 48 hours’ notice.

Transit Union’s Reaction

Amidst cheering and hugging, union president Jim Yakubowski called the labour board’s decision a win for the union, adding the lockout workers are ready and eager to get buses back on the road.

“We’re just waiting to get back into the door and continue to provide service to the citizens of Saskatoon and contnue to bargain fairly to bring a fair and equitable settlement for our member,” Yakubowski said in front of city hall.

Since the ruling came down Friday morning, Yakubowski has put in a call to the city asking them to open up the doors.

“I told them we’re ready to come back to work they suggested they’ll get back to me to see when we can discuss when we can do that.”

Despite the board’s order to lift the lockout the city still has the option to hand the union another lockout notice within 48-hours. 

On Oct. 3, the labour board ordered the City of Saskatoon to issue an official letter of apology to a senior transit driver after he was wrongfully suspended for not wearing his seatbelt and not securing his bus when he got up to deal with an unruly passenger in December.

The city maintains that the lockout was legal, citing the complaint had not yet been heard before a formally constituted meeting at the labour board. The city believes this means the application was not technically pending before the board.

news@panow.com

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