Transit services in Timmins remain completely suspended as a strike by unionized workers continues – halting all city buses and leaving no clear path to a resolution. “The city is encouraging CUPE Local 1544 to return to the bargaining table so that a sustainable agreement can be reached,” City of Timmins officials said in a news release Friday, noting there have been no new dates for talks set. The city’s CAO Dave Landers echoed this call, stating the city’s commitment to a deal. “Despite the workers walking off the job, we remain committed to reaching a final agreement that balances the needs of transit staff, while being fiscally responsible to taxpayers,” Landers said. The work stoppage has impacted all transit services, including conventional bus routes, paratransit service for riders with disabilities and the Northern College Express. Northern College has announced it is providing alternate travel for registered students requiring transportation to its Timmins campus. City outlines contract offer, rules out rider compensation As the strike continues, the city has detailed its most recent contract offer to the union. The proposed four-year deal includes an initial base rate adjustment of 4.5 per cent for drivers and eight per cent for mechanics. Those increases would be followed by an economic increase of three per cent annually for each year of the agreement. The city said that the offer also includes enhancements to benefits and premiums, such as increases for holiday pay, optical coverage, safety footwear and vacation for long-service employees. Representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1544 told CTV News that the offer was declined primarily due to insufficient compensation for a specific group of employees. “The issue is that they haven’t presented enough of a top-up for the service people, so they kind of left them behind,” said Debbie Fleury, a Timmins Transit driver, on Thursday. “I’ve always loved the city transit, and I love my supervisors and all that kind of stuff, so that’s why I’m here fighting for just a smaller group of the team,” added Patrick Begin, a mechanic in the union, the same day. The 39 transit workers began their strike on Monday – three of them are ‘service people’ who the union says were unfairly compensated by the city’s offer. In a FAQ setup online, the city acknowledged the disruption to riders but stated it will not be reimbursing the use of other transportation options. “We understand that the strike is having a significant impact on riders,” the FAQ reads. “We will not be offering monetary compensation for people who will incur alternative travel costs.” The city is, however, offering full refunds for pre-purchased October bus passes. Affected riders can contact Timmins Transit at (705) 360-2600 ext. 3500 during weekday business hours to arrange a refund. The City of Timmins says it will continue to provide updates on the labour disruption through its official website. With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Lydia Chubak
