Moncton issues deadline to Codiac Transpo union

Moncton is issuing a deadline of Wednesday afternoon for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1290 to accept its latest contract offer for Codiac Transpo workers.

Then the city will evaluate its next steps, which could include a lockout, said spokesman Paul Thomson.

"A lockout is…a tool that an employer has. It's not something that we want to do, but as it becomes more and more difficult to operate the transit system, a lockout is an option that an employer has. So it is an option.

"We're not there yet," he stressed. "We remain hopeful that the union will really look at this offer because I think it's important for the union to realize that any future offer will be less than what's currently on the table."

The city and union, which represents about 90 Codiac Transpo workers, including bus drivers, mechanics and service workers, are locked in a contract dispute.

Moncton’s latest offer contains a 13.75 per cent wage increase over five years.

The proposed deal would be retroactive to July 2010 and contains improved health and dental benefits. The city’s offer would bring a bus driver’s annual salary to $51,000 in 2015. 

The union has already voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike.

But the union has 12 months to give the city their 24-hour strike notice without holding another strike vote.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said in a statement that it is "extremely difficult" to operate a public transit system that is "under a constant threat of strike action."

"It is unfortunate that the people who rely on Codiac Transpo must be faced with the continued threat of a strike. To ensure the integrity of the service and to try to settle in a timely manner, council has put a deadline on our current offer," LeBlanc said in a statement.

The union is requesting a 23 per cent wage increase over five years, which would bring a Codiac Transpo bus driver’s annual salary to $55,120 in 2015, according to the city.

Don MacLellan, the general manager of community safety services, said the union should accept the current offer.

"Our hope is that the union accepts our current offer before it comes off the table," he said in a statement.

"It’s also important for the union to realize that its failure to agree to our current offer will result in a new offer from the city that will be less."

Workers have been without a contract since June 2010.

Codiac Transpo operates in Moncton, Dieppe, Riverview and Lakeside.

The company says it provided 2.5 million passenger trips in 2011.