By News Talk Radio Staff

Saskatoon Transit pension changes not in effect during lockout

Jan 31, 2015 | 1:26 PM

The Saskatchewan Labour Board ruled today on an issue surrounding a change to the pension of Saskatoon city workers that had the city facing off against the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 615.

The union argument was that changes made to the pension plan in September should not be allowed as they happened while the transit workers were locked out. They wanted to see the bylaw reversed.

Rather than ordering a reversal, the labour board ruled that pension changes enacted by city council would not affect the transit union during the lockout and surrounding period from June to October.

“Certainly the union is happy the board understood that the pension changes were unlawful,” Bainbridge told reporters after the ruling.

It is not known how it will affect transit workers moving forward as both the city and the union will be discussing what pension contributions the union needs to make and how much.

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“But the parties are working to resolve that issue and when they do resolve that and they’re getting paid, they need to figure out what are the appropriate contribution rates,” Bainbridge said.

City solicitor Patricia Warwick said she’s also pleased with the labour board’s decision because they chose not to reverse the pension changes.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re happy with the labour board’s ruling. I think we see the remedy that the board fashioned here fits the remedial purposes of the legislation – it was a good balancing of the interest of the two parties,” she said.

Both parties will be back in front of the provincial labour board on Feb.5 to discuss the damages that should be paid to the 350 transit workers during the lockout that was deemed illegal by the labour board last year.

Warwick hopes the arguments around the pensions are over, adding the ultimate goal of the city is to get both sides back the collective bargaining table and hammer out a new contract with the ATU.

“A contract has been reached in 8 of the 9 unions, the firefighters and the police associations so what remains is the ATU is an outlier and we would
be anxious and happy to reach a contract reasonable and comparable to what’s been reached with the other unions.”

news@panow.com 

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