James La Sala Scholarship Award 2024

ATU Scholarship Competition for the 2024-2025 Academic Year in Memory of International President Emeritus James La Sala This year’s scholarships are in remembrance of former International President Emeritus James La Sala, who passed away on October 8, 2022. La Sala began his career in the transit industry as a bus operator for the Public Service Coordinated Transport…

Responding to Service Cancellations

In response to record high absenteeism and after consultations with ATU Local 569, Edmonton Transit will begin placing Operator-trained people from senior positions into the driver’s seats of buses. What, exactly does this mean? When Dispatch has completely run out of regular operators and service has to be cancelled, they may a place Dispatcher, Inspector,…

DATS Members Ratify Deal to Amalgamate with the Main Body of ETS Workers

More than a quarter century ago, DATS drivers came together to form a union. It was said it couldn’t be done, that these were independent contractors, not employees. But, DATS operators were determined to battle their way out of what their lawyer characterized as a “job ghetto”. The Labour Relations Board was convinced that these…

Converting Temporary Positions to Permanent

At the City of Edmonton, permanent jobs help our members in a number of ways. Health benefits, pensions, stability. In the past year, City Administration has undertaken a Temporary and Seasonal Workforce Review that has created new permanent, full-time jobs in Waste Services and Parks and Roads Services. This is great news for our members,…

Photo Red Light/Radar Grievance Finally Concluded

The matter of photo red lights/speeding tickets is now concluded. In 2018, the Union undertook to challenge the City for its practice of making members pay red light & speeding tickets and then issuing progressive discipline. The City challenged this practice through 3 grievance levels and into arbitration, then had to defend the Arbitrator’s award…