While both sides remain at the bargaining table this week, the potential for a Transit Windsor strike has many who rely on the service planning ahead for alternative plans.
And not just in Windsor.
Amherstburg, LaSalle, and Leamington would all be affected if a strike does indeed happen next Monday, as those municipalities have transit agreements with Transit Windsor.
On Monday, ATU Local 616-Windsor issued a news release saying despite all efforts to work out a fair deal with Transit Windsor that contract talks are at an impasse.
Hilda MacDonald, Warden of Essex County and Mayor of Leamington, spoke to transportation department members on Tuesday morning and says the only plan is advising anyone who uses the Leamington to Windsor (LTW) transportation regularly to find an alternative way until the situation is resolved.
She says a lot of students use the bus to go to school, using one member of her Mayor's youth advisory program as an example who said without the service she may not have been going to university.
"Her parents couldn't afford to have her live on site, so this will impact young people like that. And then too we have people that use transit to go back and fourth to work and for appointments. It's definitely going to reach deep into the community, but what can you do? I don't believe there's any options here."
Hilda MacDonald, CTV file photo
MacDonald realizes this could be a difficult time for folks, so she says it's important to plan ahead.
"We understand, we sympathize that this could be an issue, but we appreciate the value of our relationship with Transit Windsor. When there's a disruption, there's a disruption, and we have to respect that. Get a Plan B in place for getting to work, or getting to school, be prepared," she said.
There hasn't been job action by transit workers in quite sometime, so MacDonald says this is uncharted territory for everyone.
She says the LTW program is relatively new, but so important as they've seen great use of it since it's been established.
"So we've never been impacted by anything like this before, but again, we see the value and appreciate the value in the opportunity to work with them," MacDonald continued. "When these things happen we sit back and let the key people work it out, yeah we suffer the consequences, but we have to do that in respectful relationships."
The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Wednesday morning.
The union says the employer has made several creative attempts to erode the rights of transit workers, who are entitled to federally mandated 10 paid sick day, and that they want to offset these days by reducing wages.
Commissioner of Infrastructure Services Mark Winterton says they're looking to cut a deal that will be in the best interest of the taxpayers, and for the riders.
The ATU Local 616 represents approximately 300 unionized Transit Windsor workers, including drivers and mechanics.