New Transit Contract Ratified, Both Sides Have Eye on the Future

After being ratified at City Council last week, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1189 did their share and ratified the new collective agreement on their end, and thus securing labour piece between the City of Guelph and its transit employees. Now's the part where we learn the details.

VIDEO: Some Kinks and Confusion on the First Ride of the #99

Months of hard work led to this: the launch of the new Guelph Transit route system and schedule. The City of Guelph kicked things off with an inaugural ride on the new northbound #99 Mainline as members of city council, transit staff, and commuters all boarded the bust to see if all the prep and promotion had paid off.

Transit Users Not Pleased - Okay Pissed - This First Week Without Peak Service

If users rated your service a 1.8 out of 5 on your own Facebook business page, would you try to make your service better? If your Guelph Transit the answer is 'no'. It's a paradoxic move for the service even as it moves into council mandated budget cuts for the summer and the loss of twice-a-day peak service. The reaction from the public in the last week though has not been good, as the cuts are being blamed for delays and missed transfers by the City's dedicated bus riders.

City & ATU Reach Tentative Agreement; Bus Service to be Restored After Ratification

As the lockout of Guelph Transit nears the end of its second week, there's a sign of hope that this time next week we may be able to get back on the buses again. Word came in late last night that the City of Guelph and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1189 have reached a tentative agreement. The key point is that this means there's no immediate end to the lockout. The ATU members will vote this coming Thursday, August 7, and if they vote to ratify, council will hold a special meeting to vote it through on their end. Meeting day and time to confirmed soon. Now the question is, for the union, will the third time be the charm?

VIDEO - The Lockout From the Union POV

The mood outside city hall at 1 Carden Street was oddly cordial. No one was shouting words of scorn at the drivers, not one was playing the blame game, and the general public - whether they be walking or driving by - offered words, or honks, of support. That's life in the cat bird seat. Even though it was their vote to reject the city's offer that sparked the lockout, the members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1189 seem to be holding the high ground. But as the anger settles, and people start to seriously ask the question, why the heck did the union reject the deal in the first place?

Transit Vs City: What are They Fighting For?

Today, the 200 some odd employees of Guelph Transit vote on a deal offered by the City of Guelph - their final offer. If the deal is voted down, it doesn't necessarily mean that there will be no bus service Saturday, but it might, which makes the vote today critical for the hundreds and hundreds of people that depend on the city's bus system to get around. Somewhat secondary is the undercurrent of animosity from the two sides, which has been in no way helped by this very adversarial negotiation process, and will unlikely be helped by a press release sent out by the city yesterday.