Red Deer's transit workers and the city are taking their labour dispute to arbitration, ending the possibility of a strike.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 said Thursday in a media release its members voted "overwhelmingly" to go to arbitration.
Earlier this month, transit workers in the central Alberta city voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action after working since Dec. 31 without a contract and citing issues such as workers being forced into part-time positions, working six days a week, and wages.
The two sides had continued negotiating until Sept. 1, when the city said it received notice of the union's decision to stop mediation, triggering a provincially mandated 'cooling off' period of 14 days.
"We care about our passengers and did not want to resort to a strike," said Steve Bradshaw, the local's president. "It's never a good thing when parties have to resort to third-party arbitration to solve their differences, but this will impose a resolution that both the city and the union will live with, and help to ensure a safe and reliable transit system for our riders and community."
