An interview with ATU Local 615 President Jim Yakubowski
By Andrew Stevens
On September 29, RankandFile.ca spoke with Jim Yakubowski, President of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 615, about the ongoing lockout of city transit workers in Saskatoon. ATU Local 615 represents 330 drivers, mechanics, and support staff who operate and maintain the city’s bus fleet. It has been nearly two weeks since the City of Saskatoon locked out transit workers in an effort to force concessions on the defined benefit pension plan. 
Earlier this week, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board ordered the City of Saskatoon to halt further changes to the pension plan following a decision by Council to impose a new formula on the workers. However, the Board has not ruled the lockout illegal, despite the union’s claim that a pending application should have restricted the City’s right to issue a lockout notice.
President Yakubowski discusses the national significance of battles over pension plans, citing Bombardier’s demand that workers employed in the company’s Thunder Bay operation concede to a roll back in benefits.
Events in Saskatoon also demonstrate the importance of building community support in the face of cutbacks and concessions. The emergence of a bus riders union earlier this month has opened up a space for community members, unions, and transit workers to discuss an expansion of transit services, particularly for those citizens with mobility and accessibility issues. The movement, Yakubowski suggests, offers and important connection between workers and public service users in Saskatoon.
All of this takes place when the City has been unable to properly maintain it’s fleet of buses and is using the labour dispute and lockout as a means of masking wider problems stemming from how public transit is staffed and management in Saskatoon.
Listen to the interview with Local 615 President below.
[audio:https://www.rankandfile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/RF_podcast_ATULocal615.mp3|titles= Interview with ATU Local 615 president]
The flash audio crashes my phone, as it probably will for many android users. You might want to consider posting a mp3 version that can be downloaded for those who cannot play the flash audio file.
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the suggestions. We’ve added a link at the bottom to download the mp3 directly.
How much longer will this be going on I don’t drive and my son has to cycle to school and what happens when the weather gets bad I think it’s terrible to just have no service at all its a ridiculous way of trying to sort out this
Debbie, one of us at RankandFile.ca has family member in Saskatoon who has been left unemployed because they don’t have a car and can’t get to work. We understand your concern. Keep in mind that the union has been in a legally strike position for months, yet they elected to continue bargaining. The employer, meanwhile, decided to punish the public and members of ATU 615 by forcing a lockout. Tell Saskatoon’s mayor and city councillors that you, and other residents, won’t forget this at election time. Join the bus riders union and make sure that city officials respect the traveling public and work to build a better public transit system – this means advancing working conditions for operators, respecting pension commitments, paying employees fairly, as well as improving service.
It’s a clear case of the employer trying to get concessions from employees.Good for you for not falling for it. I’ll remember this @ election time. Keep the good fight.