Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath says a tentative deal has been reached to end a strike which left thousands of transit users scrambling to make other plans over the past week.
In a statement released early Thursday, Horwath said the city now has a tentative agreement with ATU local 107, which represents some 900 workers.
“I’m thrilled to announce that the City of Hamilton has reached a tentative agreement with ATU Local 107 that they will be recommending to their members,” Horwath said in the release. “Strikes are difficult, and I thank the public for their patience and understanding while HSR was out of service. I know this disruption had very real impacts on people’s lives, and I look forward to the full restoration of service as soon as possible.”
The strike began on Nov. 9 after talks fell apart over wages. The city had said that the union was asking for a wage increase which amounted to 23 per cent over four years while the city was offering 12.75 per cent over four years.
The city said last week that because of pattern bargaining, an increase of the size the union was seeking would translate into additional costs of $113 million over four years across all 11 unions which bargain with the city.
Terms of the tentative deal reached this week are not yet public, but Horwath called it a “fair” deal.
“Our transit workers are very important to us, and we’re excited to welcome them back,” she said. “Thank you to my City Council colleagues, our City bargaining team and ATU Local 107 leadership for their commitment to achieving a fair and speedy resolution to this important process.”
“With a tentative agreement reached, we are working towards getting the buses back on the road as soon as possible,” Hamilton Street Railway said in a social media post early Thursday. “We will let you know shortly when service will be back.”
They later said bus service will resume Friday morning.
The deal must still be ratified by ATU local 107 workers.
