In response to the bulletin “New Mandatory Seatbelt Rule for Operators”
——————
Official Seatbelt Position – Local 583
In 1986/1987 when the government was introducing mandatory seatbelt regulations, Local 583 was instrumental in lobbying government to permit Transit Operators to be part of the exemption in section 65 (3) (a) of the Highway Traffic Act.
The reasons in part for that exemption are: the risk to Operators in the driver’s work station due to bus design, the risk of being attacked while in the work station, the inability for companies to provide appropriate restraint systems in these types of vehicles, and the fact that the equipment can cause more injury than the accidents themselves in many circumstances.
Between 1987 and 2024 not one of those risks have been remedied. In 2020 and 2021 when Calgary Transit was looking at changing the operating rulebook to require mandatory seatbelts, they came to the Union, and we had these discussions and Calgary Transit backed off.
It is unfortunate that they have now chosen to arbitrarily impose this rule without any discussion with the Union.
On October 4th, 2023 Calgary Transit sent the Union a notice of disclosure that they were implementing this rule as of January 1, 2025. This put them in a legal position to impose it on January 1. However, it also put us in a position to deal with it in negotiations which we are attempting to do right now. We have advised them what we have stated here regarding the reasons for the exemption and they have chosen to maintain their position and in fact aggressively promote the implementation of the rule while we are still at the table. We have advised them as recently as last week that if this is not resolved in negotiations or through the grievance procedure as of January 1, 2025 we will advise our Members that anyone that chooses not to wear a seatbelt we openly support that. Not just for those reasons that we have stated but the fact that the seatbelts in this fleet are disgusting and inadequate even without an accident they harm because of improper fit and poor quality.
Come January 1, the city can do whatever they damn well want. We will not change our position. They can take us to the labour board while we take them to occupational health and safety and we will see where the chips fall. I can tell you that between their lack of enough rolling stock to make commitment for service, their lack of foresight to properly staff to provide the service they promise Calgarians and the neglected sanitary conditions in the operator’s work station they will have one hell of a time providing service between 500-1000-1500 operators refusing to drive a bus because of being forced to wear a seatbelt.
That is our official position.
Mike Mahar
President/Business Agent
ATU Local 583
