Hamilton bus service halted as HSR workers go on strike

Bus service across Hamilton has come to a halt as HSR workers hit the picket line Thursday morning for the first transit strike in the city in 25 years.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) lined the street outside of HSR headquarters as early as 4 a.m. after talks between the union and city broke down this week.

President of ATU Local 107 Eric Tuck says that as of Thursday morning, there are no further negotiations scheduled with the city and that the union remains ready to return to the bargaining table “at any time that the employer has the ability to improve their offer.”

Tuck says the main bargaining point remains to be wages, with Local 107 seeking increases on par with inflation and the cost of living. He says that over the past four years members have lost around 7 per cent to inflation.

He notes that striking came as a last resort and that members “take great pride in our reliability and what we’ve delivered to the city over the last 25 years.”

The union says workers at nearby transit agencies, such as in Brampton and Mississauga are receiving higher pay and that they are frustrated some non-union HSR staff received wage increases “of up to 15 per cent” while offering transit workers a 3.2 per cent increase.

Local 107 has asked for an increase of 21.69 per cent over the next four years, resulting in a base annual salary of $86,860 in the fourth year of the agreement.

A press release from the City of Hamilton says it had offered a four-year contract which would see a 3.75 per cent wage increase in year one (retroactive to January 1st) and then a 3 per cent increase in each of 2024, 2025, and 2026.

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This offer was struck down by voting members.

The strike comes at an undeniably busy time in the city, with remembrance day services and ceremonies lined up throughout this coming weekend and the Grey Cup festival less than a week away.

Tuck says that despite the strike, ATU is still working to ensure that veterans can access free transportation to remembrance day services. Veterans are asked to contact the union hall at 905-528-6418 to arrange transportation.

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Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath released a statement regarding the “transit disruption” Wednesday evening that read in part, “I am disappointed that our city will experience a transit disruption, beginning tomorrow.”

“This is a labour town, and I believe deeply in the collective bargaining process and continue to encourage both sides to engage meaningfully in the best interests of transit workers and our city.”

With a strike indefinitely suspending service, alternative options for transportation throughout the city include taxi services, carshare, bike share and the e-scooter program. Full details on these options can be found here.

DARTS services will not be impacted by the strike and regular service is ongoing.

A joint press conference and rally from the union is planned to take place later Thursday morning at the McNab Bus Terminal downtown.