It looks as if the summer will end without bus service in Greater Moncton.
What seemed to be promising negotiations between the city and the Amalgamated Transit Union broke off without a deal Friday.
Flanked by council members, and guarded by the RCMP, Mayor George LeBlanc delivered the news Friday afternoon, but insisted the two sides are close to an agreement.
“I think we have a real opportunity here to put this behind us, all we have to do is come to the table and we’re ready,” says LeBlanc.
The mayor says the two sides made progress on a seven-year contract, retroactive to 2010.
Contract language for a raise of almost 17 per cent was nearly finalized, but the union countered with an extra year for 2018 that would be tied to all other city workers’ contracts.
“It’s unreasonable,” says city spokesman Jacques Dube. “In my 30 years of public service I’ve never seen a contract tied to another contract.”
“We thought that would be looked at seriously because that wage adjustment to bring us parity is six-and-a-half years down the road, and we accepted all their wage increases throughout the seven years,” says union president George Turple.
“So we thought that’s something that should seriously be looked at.”
The wage increase would have brought a driver’s salary close to $55,000 a year by 2017, which would be on par with their counterparts in Saint John and Fredericton.
Hopeful transit users were disappointed to hear talks were off again.
“It’s inconvenient for everyone,” Julie Elizabeth McCarthy told CTV News. “I mean, something has to be done.”
The city says the decision now lies with the transit union, but an open-ended contract for 2018 is out of the question.
Roughly 90 bus drivers, mechanics and other workers have been without a collective agreement for over two years.
Codiac Transpo locked out its workers on June 26 after they threatened to strike.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
