Belleville transit workers have voted in favour of strike action if bargaining doesn’t produce a tentative agreement by April 1.
The current collective agreement for about 30 Unifor Local 1839 members expired March 31, 2021.
It was a one-year rollover agreement signed during the pandemic to prevent layoffs and secure 40-hour work weeks.
Doug Keller, Local 1839 president, says despite the risk, transit workers showed up to ensure that Belleville area residents could get to wherever they needed to go during the pandemic.
“Seeking concessions from frontline workers is shameful,” says Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “Transit workers have earned a fair contract and we will accept nothing less.”
If an agreement is not reached before the deadline, the union says a legal strike will begin at 4 a.m. on April 1.
