A union representative for striking Metro Transit workers and the Halifax Regional Municipality say they will both present new offers to each other on Wednesday morning.
Ken Wilson, the president of Local 508 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that he hopes the latest proposal by the union will bring management back to the bargaining table.
"We're going to see some real leadership, the members of ATU Local 508 have prepared a counter-offer to the employers' final. Although they told us they didn't want one, we're going to do it anyway," he said.
"As I stated from the beginning, it was not the union that walked away from the bargaining table at 1 o'clock in the morning on Feb. 2, it was the employer."
Soon after that announcement, the Halifax Regional Municipality sent out its own news release, saying it also intends to take a new proposal to the Amalgamated Transit Union and the conciliator.
Peter Kelly, the mayor of Halifax, said the proposal has been approved by Halifax regional council.
"There are only three ways to pay for a growing transit service — the taxpayer, the fare box and operational efficiencies," he said in a statement.
"While we're encouraged that the union wants to meet, our responsibility to the public is to create efficiencies first. ATU needs to be part of that solution within any proposal that's on the table."
Kelly did not give any details about what would be included in the city's latest offer.
During its last meeting with union representatives on Feb. 2, Metro Transit said it presented one offer that included rostering — where shifts are scheduled in weekly blocks — and a six per cent wage hike over three years.
A second offer included no rostering and a wage hike of 3.5 per cent over three years.
Union representatives — who have called the inclusion of rostering in a contract a deal-breaker — rejected Metro Transit's proposals and more than 700 workers walked off the job.
Wilson would not give any details about what will be included in the union's offer, to be emailed to Metro Transit director Eddie Robar at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
"I'm going to take the night to review it one more time, I'll email it off to the director tomorrow morning and the conciliator as well," he said.
"Then the ball's back in their court, where it's been the whole time."
Approximately 55,000 commuters have been left without bus or ferry service since the strike began.
Earlier on Wednesday, Halifax regional council voted to temporarily remove taxi zones for the duration of the strike, meaning drivers will be able to move freely to pick up fares regardless of their location.
Coun. David Hendsbee said he believed that would serve a growing demand for transportation within the Halifax Regional Municipality.
"I encourage the ATU leadership to get back to the table but in the meantime, we need to facilitate any mobility of our citizens," he said.
Coun. Jerry Blumenthal agreed.
"We need something done to help these people who can't move without access to transit," he said.
But Halifax cab drivers opposed the idea, saying the move will crowd the peninsula — including downtown Halifax — and leave the suburbs without taxi service.
"If I was a driver in the county, why would I want to protect no-market generators? I'd come into Halifax, I'd sit at the hotels. This is where the money is," said Al DesLaurier, the president of the Halifax Taxi Drivers Owners Association.
"So what happens is, those people migrate to downtown, the people in Lower Sackville — they won't get taxis."
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