Members of Red Deer Transit union plan practice strike

A passenger steps off a Red Deer Transit bus in this undated photo. (Evan Kenny/CTV News Edmonton)

Red Deer Transit workers plan to stage a practice strike picket on Saturday at a city bus station, says the head of their union local.

Steve Bradshaw, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, said in a Friday media release the workers will stage the picket starting at 11 a.m. at Sorensen Station "to send a strong message to the city that we mean business and will not stand for their continued refusal to bargain in good faith."

The local said on Tuesday that workers voted 99 per cent in favour of strike action. Its contract with the City of Red Deer expired on Dec. 31. The two sides had continued negotiating until Sept. 1, when the city received notice of the union's decision to stop mediation, triggering a provincially mandated 'cooling off' period of 14 days, city human resources manager Tracy Bruce said Wednesday in a statement.

The union says critical outstanding issues include forcing workers into part-time positions, working them six days a week, and wages.

"Once the mediator's 'cooling off' period ends, if the city continues its stall tactics, we will take the necessary action to ensure our members are treated fairly," Bradshaw said on Friday.