The City of Saskatoon will pay the transit union $651,000 for damages over the illegal lockout in 2014.

Workers were locked out for four weeks starting late on the evening of Sept. 20, 2014.

The Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board ruled on Oct. 17, 2015 that the Saskatoon Transit lockout was illegal. It said an unresolved, unfair labour practice case was before the board at the time the lockout was issued.

The labour board ordered the City to pay compensation to Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members for the time that the case was before the board during the lockout period — Sept. 20 to Oct. 3.

Bus drivers were back at work on Oct. 20.

In a release, the City said the payment will have no negative impact on the 2015 or 2016 budget since money for this payout was reserved in 2014.

Transit workers will receive the payments by the middle of February.

The transit union and the City still have not signed a new contract. The ongoing issues remain wages and pensions.