The members of Red Deer's transit union have voted overwhelmingly to strike.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 said Tuesday workers voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action, saying in a media release they have been "pushed to the brink by the City of Red Deer’s refusal to negotiate a contract for fair wages, fair scheduling, improved health measures, and other issues."
The contract between the union local and the city expired on Dec. 31. The two sides have been negotiating ever since, according to the release.
Tracy Bruce, the city's human resources manager said in a statement Tuesday the two sides completed eight days of bargaining and one day of mediation before Sept. 1, when it received notice of the union's decision to stop mediation. That triggered a provincially mandated "cooling off" period of 14 days.
"The city is committed to continuing efforts to reach an agreement," Bruce said.
The union says outstanding issues include wages, forcing people into part-time positions and working them six days a week.
"We were there on the frontline throughout the pandemic and accepted zeros two years in a row while the inflation rate soared to 6 and 8 percent," local president Steve Bradshaw said. "Now that the City is in a better financial position, they expect us to take sub-inflation increases."
CTV News Edmonton has reached out to the City of Red Deer for comment but hasn't yet received a response.
