What is included in the new agreement?
Highlights of the new five-year collective agreement are in the chart below. It is important to note that the new deal costs virtually the same as the package HRM offered on February 23, as per the direction of Council. ATU was given the opportunity to allocate the costs as they saw fit for their membership. The $4,000 first-year payment for all ATU employees is non-compounding; combined with the 2% increases for the remaining four years and the efficiencies gained through rostering and wage steps, the five year deal will cost HRM only 3% more over the five-year period despite the 8% increase in wages.
March 11, 2012 Tentative Agreement Highlights
Terms of Agreement
5 Years: August 31, 2011 - August 31, 2016
Lump Sum Payment
Year 1: $4,000 to all ATU members employed on date of signing (non-compounding)
Salary Increases
2% remaining four years of the collective agreement (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Rostering
Achieved with in the Conventional Transit Division with a detailed Memorandum of Understanding outlining a process whereby the ATU can provide input into the creation of rosters.
Agreement to implement new policy which will have accidents reviewed by HRM management to determine preventability. The full details of the change have been outlined in a Letter of Intent and the wording in the collective agreement that prevented this change has been removed.
Pick Process
Agreement to expand to six picks per year if the Pick Process can be reduced to eight calendar days (current approximately 24 days)
Vacation Board
Language inserted into the collective agreement to make the Vacation Board more efficient. The new language puts Vacation Board Operators on the Spareboard with no limitations on what work they can be assigned
Two Day Rule in Ferry
Rule removed in the Ferry Division. Offered open work of two days or less to full-time employees at overtime rates before it could offer this work to part-time employees at straight time.
Acting Ferry Supervisor
Removal of all unionized acting management positions from the collective agreement.
What does the new Collective Agreement mean for HRM taxpayers?
HRM got exactly what Council and citizens asked us to get in the new deal with ATU Local 508:
Wage package within the maximum cost set by Council
Rostered scheduling
Cost savings that enable a predictable transit future
Accident Review Committee
We didn't spend a cent more than what was offered to ATU Local 508 on February 23.
Don't be distracted by the shiny $4,000 lump sum payment in year one of the deal; it's not as attractive as it looks. Imagine you took out a five-year loan; you have several repayment options. You can choose to spread out the loan amount over the five-years, but you end up paying more in interest. Or you can put more money down at the beginning of the loan to reduce the principle and save interest over the term.
The second option is the one selected by ATU Local 508. They chose to receive more money upfront, which means they will receive less over the span of the contract. The impact on HRM is a positive one; we spend less overall by giving more money up front, thereby reducing the compounding effect on annual raises in year's two through five of the contract.
In addition, any ATU employee hired from this day forward will not receive the $4,000 lump sum payment. If the deal had included a percentage wage increase instead in year one, they would have received that increase, however small.
Why the $4,000 lump sum payment is better for HRM than you think.
The $4,000 lump sum payment may appear to cost more but the savings far out weight the cost, and the long term gains are huge. For example, a 2% raise in year one of the contract would, on average, equate to $1,000 wage cost per employee. As raises on base wages carry forward, over the five-year contract this 2% raise in year one amounts to a cost of $5,000 per employee (this cost does not take into account added costs of overtime, pension, etc).
By paying a $4,000 lump sum in lieu of a wage increase in year one, HRM saves $1,000 per employee over the five-year deal. This amounts to over $700,000 in savings before factoring in pension and benefits cost over the five years. This $700,000 savings is then realized in each of the next four years of the contract.
Free bus and ferry service until March 31, 2012
All bus and ferry services will be FREE for everyone until March 31, 2012, as a thank you to citizens and customers for the inconvenience caused by the recent strike. Welcome back on board!
When will buses and ferries be back in operation?
We are working hard to get buses and ferries back on the road as soon as possible for our customers. In order to accommodate required maintenance and safety inspections on our vehicles, and re-establish regular schedules for our employees, Metro Transit services will be phased in over the next few days as follows:
March 15 - Ferry Service Resumes
March 16 - All Bus Service Resumes (including Access-A-Bus service*)
*Access-A-Bus service, previously scheduled to begin on Monday, March 19 will now resume on Friday, March 16, as Metro Transit staff work hard to reinstate Metro Transit services as soon as possible.
Previously scheduled medical and dialysis appointments as of 5 pm, March 13, will continue to be provided. Reservation requests for all types of Access-A-Bus service trips will begin on Thursday, March 15 at 9 am. We ask for customer's patience as the call volume may be higher than usual.
Why will it take up to 48 hours for buses and ferries to return to service?
We are working hard to get buses and ferries back on the road as soon as possible for our customers. In order to accommodate required maintenance and safety inspections on our vehicles, and re-establish regular schedules for our employees, Metro Transit services will be phased in over the next several days. Service resumption details can be found above.
Will March monthly passes be sold at a reduced rate?
To welcome our customers back on board and thank everyone for their patience, all bus and ferry services will be FREE from the first day of service* through until March 31, 2012. Therefore, no March transit passes will be sold.
*Refer to service resumption details above.
How will my February MetroPass be honoured?
Anyone who purchased a February transit pass has two options for having their pass honoured due to lost service as a result of the strike. One option is to hold onto their pass, as February passes will be honoured for the entire month of April. The second option is to obtain a cheque refund from HRM; details on this option are outlined in the next FAQ.
Can I get a refund for my February MetroPass?
HRM will provide refunds for any person who purchased a Metro Transit pass for February 2012 up until March 30, 2012. Passes may only be redeemed through one of the four main HRM Customer Service Centre locations, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm:
-Scotia Square, Lower Level Mall
-Alderney Gate in Dartmouth
-Bayers Road Customer Service Centre, 7071 Bayers Road
-Acadia Centre in Lower Sackville
Cheque refunds will be processed and mailed within 10 days, once an application is submitted with the unused February pass. Application forms are available at the four HRM Customer Service Centres listed above, or may be downloaded here: Application for Cheque Refund
There will be no refunds issued in the form of cash, credit or debit due to the high volumes involved as a result of the strike.
Independent transit retail outlets are not able to process any pass refunds; all refund transactions must occur at one of the above mentioned HRM Customer Service Centres.
Posted March 29/12
Reminder: February MetroPass
Anyone who purchased a February transit pass has two options for having their pass honoured due to lost service as a result of the strike.
1. Hold onto your pass
February passes will be honoured for the entire month of April.
2. February MetroPass Refund
HRM will provide refunds for any person who purchased a Metro Transit pass for February 2012 up until March 30, 2012. Passes may only be redeemed through one of the four main HRM Customer Service Centre locations, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm:
-Scotia Square, Lower Level Mall
-Alderney Gate in Dartmouth
-Bayers Road Customer Service Centre, 7071 Bayers Road
-Acadia Centre in Lower Sackville
Cheque refunds will be processed and mailed within 10 days, once an application is submitted with the unused February pass. Application forms are available at the four HRM Customer Service Centres listed above, or may be downloaded here: Application for Cheque Refund
There will be no refunds issued in the form of cash, credit or debit due to the high volumes involved as a result of the strike.
Independent transit retail outlets are not able to process any pass refunds; all refund transactions must occur at one of the above mentioned HRM Customer Service Centres.
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Posted March 26, 2012
April Passes Now on Sale
Beginning Monday, March 26, April transit passes will be available for purchase at our regular retail outlets.
Until further notice, passes will not be available at Nic Nax stores at 1800 Granville St in the TD Tower; 1701 Hollis St, Founders Square; & 1949 Upper Water St. at Purdy's Tower. Those who regularly purchase at these locations may obtain them at HRM Customer Service Centre at Scotia Square until further notice.
Regular cash fares for transit users will be in effect on Sunday, April 1.
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What if I have a UPass?
There are provisions in each UPass agreement that outlines how universities will be reimbursed for any unused portions of UPasses as a result of the strike.
Further information on how loss of service on a UPass will be honoured will be provided through the participating UPass universities to their respective students.
Can I still park in 'No Parking' zones, including bus stops?
Flexibility for parking at bus stops and taxi zone restrictions permitted during the transit strike will be discontinued now that the strike has ended. Bus stops in downtown Halifax business districts where parking had been allowed will revert to no parking zones as of midnight, March 14, in preparation for Metro Transit’s return to service on Friday, March 15.
All marked bus stops are considered no parking zones. Motorists in violation will be ticketed.
When will Lost & Found re-open?
Lost & Found, located at the Burnside Transit Centre, 200 Ilsley Avenue, will re-open for regular hours on Monday, March 19, 8 am - 4 pm.
Wage package within the maximum cost set by Council 
