York region commuters are watching public transit negotiations closely now that the union has announced an official strike deadline.
Ray Doyle, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1587, said the strike date will be Oct. 24. The union represents both Go Transit bus drivers and York Region Transit drivers.
While the GO Transit and YRT contracts and negotiations are separate, the strike date will be the same, Doyle said.
"We are going to the table and our goal is to try and negotiate reasonable settlements on behalf of our members, but this is a firm date," he told CP24.
Doyle said GO Transit employees were upset Metrolinx went to the Ontario labour board to dispute the agreement because it delayed a Sept. 19 strike date that was previously set.
The union represents 650 GO Transit bus drivers, who are employed by Metrolinx, and 330 YRT drivers employed by Miller Transit and First Student Canada.
People who take GO Transit buses and some York Region Transit buses are being told to prepare to make alternate arrangements if employees of one or both of the services hit the picket lines.
