Transit strike averted in Guelph as city, union reach tentative agreement

Guelph Transit workers and the city have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract, which means workers will not be going on strike Thursday morning.

The Amalgamated Transit Union says the deal includes significant wage increases and a better work-life balance for workers.

Local 1189 president and business agent Scott Bate said in a release that the contract "strikes the right balance between meeting their needs and maintaining the high standard of service that the residents of Guelph deserve."

The city and union have been in contract talks for months. In September, workers voted 99.5 per cent in favour of a strike if necessary. The union had said workers would walk off the job Thursday at 12:01 a.m. if a deal could not be reached.

In a statement, the city's acting general manager of human resources Stephen O'Brien said the city was grateful to reach a deal to avoid service disruptions.

"We value the work of all city employees in delivering important public services to our community and are committed to negotiating settlements that are fair to employees and affordable for taxpayers," O'Brien said.

A ratification vote is expected to be held later this week.