Moncton warns bus drivers offer 'could change'

The City of Moncton is warning Codiac Transpo workers that its latest contract offer is competitive but it could be pulled off the table in the future.

The city and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1290 were not able to work out a deal through two rounds of mediation.

Paul Thomson, a spokesperson for the city, said the offer on the table is as rich as it's going to get for workers at Codiac Transpo.

"We said it all along that the offer that we have on the table is a very competitive offer and it's not going to stay on the table forever. I mean, it's not an open-ended offer. At some point, it will change," he said.

Thomson said the union rejected city council's offer of 13.75 per cent over five years.

The workers have voted in favour of a strike.

The union, which represents roughly 90 workers, has a strike mandate and its members could walk off the job once the city has been given 24 hours' notice.

George Turple, of the Transit Union was unavailable for an interview Tuesday. 

Thomson said the city doesn't want a lockout. He said the city’s offer could change if the contract dispute drags on further.

"The union can't just decide, ‘You know, today, or six months from now, OK, we'll take that.’ It will have an expiry date. It's not open-ended and those are the parameters that we've given right now. But those parameters in terms of the offer could change at any point in time," he said.

Workers currently earn $21.50 an hour. The union is asking for $26.50 an hour. The City has offered $24.60.

Turple said that would make his membership the lowest-paid city employees.

The union has been without a contract since the summer of 2010.