THEY COUNTED ON THEMSELVES TO WIN—and they did. Rank-and-file member solidarity within the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 569 in Edmonton got the city to drop plans to privatize the jobs of 100 cleaners.

The November 18 decision not only maintains union protection for the workers but gives them long-term stability. ATU 569 president Steve Bradshaw said the city has clearly made the decision not to privatize “right through the next four year budget cycle.”

Bradshaw was elated by the win. “I was comforted that these people no longer had to worry about their jobs, could go to work and not worry about getting a pink slip the next day,” he said. “It was a great feeling, believe me.”

Solid core

Bradshaw says credit for the win belongs to the whole membership of ATU Local 569, who trusted the leadership of the core team and participated in many solidarity events throughout the year.

The core team, essentially a membership engagement team, started campaigning in December 2020 when budget discussions revealed that privatization was on the table. They began with an “I’m in” campaign, simply asking members to declare that they were all in for the fight to stop privatization.

In addition to ATU Local 569 members, several councillor and mayoral candidates wore buttons in solidarity during the summer of the 2021 municipal elections campaign. None more proudly than the Amarjeet Sohi, a past executive board member of ATU Local 569.

Sohi won the race for mayor. He had pledged to work to not privatize the jobs of the 100 cleaners.

Sticking at it

During early 2021, the core team collected more than 1500 member signatures, about 70% of the bargaining unit membership, and ran a social media awareness campaign saying no to the privatization of public transit.

The core team also mounted a banner action at a July 28 transit funding announcement where then Mayor Don Iveson was speaking alongside Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna. The centre piece of the action was photos of more than 1500 ATU members opposed to the privatization plans.

A different privatization move in April put another 100 workers in jeopardy. Local 569 mounted an organizing campaign to certify the 100 workers—many of whom were City of Edmonton employees—into a new bargaining unit.

That certification election has been held and the ballots have been counted. Confirmation of the union vote is stalled, pending a ruling on an unfair labour practice complaint from the City of Edmonton .

Privatization a continuing threat

The union is also concerned about the real possibility that plans to privatize more jobs will be part of the regionalization of transit in Alberta.

Bradshaw said that city staff have cut the union out of conversations about the business plan for regional transit and the possible implications for union membership.

“They have a commission, a corporate entity, and a CEO,” he said. “And the CEO has three or four employees already.” And yet, the union has no information about how those regional transit jobs will be staffed.

Bradshaw remains confident however. He believes the local has developed a winning formula on how to fight against transit privatization. “When it came down to there being a solution at hand, we got down to work and got it done.

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