In a private vote today, Red Deer City Council ratified the Memorandum of Agreement between the City and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569. The vote marks the conclusion of negotiations between he parties and sets up a 2-year deal that ends on December 31, 2022. Negotiations for a new agreement will commence late this fall or early in the winter.

“It was a tough negotiation” says ATU President Steve Bradshaw. “ The employer was clearly strapped for resources and received no support from Provincial sources.” Bradshaw was referring to the lack of funding provided by the UCP Provincial government for transit operations across the Province. “It’s unfair and unreasonable to expect municipal governments to shoulder the entire burden of operating Transit systems” he added.

Bradshaw congratulated both the City’s and the Union’s negotiating teams for negotiating a fair deal under the circumstances