About 300 workers at Transit Windsor will walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. on February 5 in a situation guaranteed to cause chaos for thousands of students and workers in Windsor, LaSalle, and Amherstburg.
Their union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 616, said contract talks are at an impasse.
It and Transit Windsor were at the bargaining table on the weekend, part of that with a federal mediator, but to no avail.
"The employer has made several creative attempts to erode the rights of these transit workers who are entitled to federally mandated ten paid sick days," said ATU Local 616. "They want to offset these days by reducing wages."
The union accuses Transit Windsor of stalling, coming to the table unprepared, or with no authority to make decisions.
"The lack of interest in working out a fair deal for transit workers and keeping the city moving was clearly demonstrated by Transit Windsor," said ATU International Vice President Manny Sforza.
The union has served notice to Transit Windsor and is giving the public a week to find alternate transportation.
"As the strike deadline approaches on February 5, we want to remind our valued riders that these decisions are difficult for transit workers as they pride themselves on serving riders," said ATU Canada President John Di Nino.
It's the third time the union has threatened to walk off the job. The first was on January 12, followed by a warning on Friday.
"Our members don't want to walk off the job," said ATU International President John Costa. "But, we will do what is necessary to get a fair contract and a better transit system for our riders."
The City of Windsor sent out a response to the developments later Monday. Acting Infrastructure Services Commissioner Mark Winterton indicated that the City does not want a labour stoppage, either, but riders should start considering alternate travel arrangements.
“We remain optimistic that talks planned for this Wednesday can keep the buses running, but we need to ensure riders know that the union has told us they will strike on February 5 if a deal isn’t reached," said Winterton.