Latest news with #905area
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Transit service in Durham region to end early Friday ahead of potential strike
Bus service in Durham region will end early Friday night as bus drivers prepare to walk off the job at midnight. Unifor Local 222, which represents workers at Durham Regional Transit, will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 7. The union and transit agency have been in collective bargaining negotiations since March 31, but haven't been able to reach an agreement, says an update from Durham Regional Transit posted to its website. To prepare for a potential service disruption if transit workers go on strike, the transit agency says it will end bus service by 11 p.m. Friday. If a strike doesn't happen, regular bus service will resume Saturday. The Durham Region Transit Commission is expected to present a final offer to the bargaining committee on Thursday, but the union is not confident it will be enough to deter strike action, Unifor said in a news release. Wages are a key sticking point in the contract negotiations, with the union arguing that transit workers in surrounding "905-area code" municipalities like Mississauga and Brampton earn up to $5 more per hour than Durham Region Transit employees for doing the same work, despite working in communities with similar population sizes and growth projections. "We are fighting tirelessly to close this unjust wage gap and secure a fair contract that recognizes the hard work, dedication and professionalism of DRT members," said Unifor Local 222 President Jeff Gray in the Unifor news release. Members voted 98 per cent in support of taking strike action, if necessary, on May 21, the news release says.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Durham Region Transit workers vote for strike mandate
A Durham Region Transit bus is seen in this undated photo (Unifor). Durham Region Transit (DRT) workers have voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action next month. In a news release on Thursday, Unifor says members working at DRT voted on Wednesday for strike action if a deal cannot be reached with the region by midnight on June 6. 'The region has a responsibility to invest in public transit and in the workers who uphold it, especially as the community continues to grow,' said Unifor National President Lana Payne in the release. Unifor Local 222 represents 616 transit workers—from operators to maintenance, dispatch, and specialized services. The union says one of the key issues they're negotiating is closing the gap on wages. 'Transit workers in surrounding '905-area code' municipalities with similar populations and growth projections, such as in Mississauga and Brampton, earn as much as $5 more an hour than their counterparts in Durham Region for the same work,' Unifor says. Last April, Durham Regional Council agreed to fully funding the 127 per cent growth Unifor said was needed for the transit system by 2032. But the union says since negotiations began on March 31, 'there has been little movement by the region to make good on its promise.' 'It's time to close the wage gap,' said Unifor Local 222 President Jeff Gray in the release. 'Our members deserve equal pay for equal work. Their skills and dedication to the job must be recognized in the next contract.' If the two sides cannot negotiate a new contract, Unifor members will be in a legal strike position on June 7 at 12:01 a.m.
