Durham Region Transit strike averted as tentative deal reached

A Durham Region Transit bus is seen in this undated photo (Unifor).

Bus service in Durham Region will run as scheduled this weekend as the union representing area transit workers has struck a tentative deal with their employer on Friday, swerving away from potential strike action.

Unifor Local 222, representing Durham Region Transit (DRT) workers, has said it has been looking for wages that fall in line with other transit agencies in Mississauga and Brampton, adding they earn up to $5 per hour more.

If an agreement wasn’t reached, the union planned to walk off the job—halting bus service—as of 12:01 a.m. on June 7.

DRT said there would be no interruption to transit services as a result of the deal.

In a release issued on Friday, the union said the details of the agreement won’t be shared until after a ratification meeting in the coming days.

The union represents around 616 employees who work as transit operators, maintenance workers as well as in dispatch and specialized services at Durham Regional Transit. According to the union, DRT serves more than 14 million riders every year.

With files from CP24’s Chris Fox