Transit union leaders back call for $5B federal bailout

REGINA Two Saskatchewan transit union leaders are backing a call for the federal government to provide a $5-billion bailout for transit agencies across Canada.

“It’s needed for the people,” said Kevin Lucier, president of Regina’s Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 588.

“We are getting a lot of the frontline workers to their employment. If we start eroding away service, we are not servicing the people of Regina.”

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said emergency funding for transit operations is more of a municipal and provincial responsibility.

Lucier and Saskatoon’s ATU Local 615 President Darcy Pederson disagree.

“The feds should be doing this because quite frankly they’re bailing out multiple areas in Canada,” said Pederson on Tuesday.

“We’re just looking to get some of that funding put toward transit.”

According to a joint news release sent out Tuesday, a poll conducted by Probe Research on behalf of ATU Canada found that 73 per cent of people in Regina and Saskatoon strongly support or somewhat support federal funding for public transit operations.

The poll also indicated that 91 per cent of Canadians agree that the federal government has a responsibility to provide access to “safe, reliable and affordable public transit.” The poll has a margin of error of 2.8 per cent 19 times out of 20.

Many cities across Canada have been running on reduced service since COVID -19 swept the nation, and some aren’t operating transit at all, said Pederson. Through conversations the union has had with the City of Saskatoon, he expects reduced service levels to be able to continue throughout the summer, but said members are worried that might change if COVID -19 restrictions continue.

Lucier fears the same.

“We are basically just kind of looking to make sure that the service that’s in place now will be maintained,” he said.

According to an emailed statement from Regina Mayor Michael Fougere, the city supports the call for federal government to invest in transit systems as a way to address the lack of revenue experienced by municipalities.

In late April, the mayors of Regina and Saskatoon endorsed a $10-billion request in financial aid from the federal government, saying help is needed to maintain essential services and prevent tax hikes for already struggling residents.

The request, made by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors Caucus, asked for a national investment of $2.4 billion into transit, distributed across Canada through a formula based on ridership.

“The City supports this request and looks forward to continuing the discussions with the federal government on this important issue,” continued Fougere’s statement.

According to the ATU news release, transit ridership levels have “plummeted” by over 75 per cent since the pandemic hit Canada.

The national union is calling for the bailout to be provided over 12 months to help sustain operations and support urban public transit and intercity buses.

“The Government of Canada has taken unprecedented action during this pandemic to help individuals and businesses survive the financial impacts,” says the release.

“This includes commercial landlords receiving rent subsidies, health-care workers receiving wage top-ups, and private transportation companies receiving bailouts, but the government has neglected public transit.”

Calling transit the backbone of most large cities, Pederson said he’s disappointed that transit professionals across the country aren’t being recognized in the same way as other groups in need of emergency funding.