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4/29/2012
The City of Edmonton could lose the bulk of its taxi service a week from Monday.
Drivers representing Yellow Cab, Barrel Taxi, Checker and Prestige Cabs have hit a wall attempting to negotiate their first collective agreement with their employer.
Some of the issues include insurance surcharges, weekly stand rent, and having to rent debit card machines, instead of being able to purchase them.
Balraj Manhas is the president of the United Cabbies Association of Edmonton.
He says the Alberta Labour Relations Board appointed a mediator, but to no avail.
"The mediator told both parties that they are far away and wrote a report that they must have to take a strike vote, otherwise there's no solution there," remarked Manhas.
A three day strike vote begins on Monday with the results forwarded to the labour board on Thursday.
Shortly after that, Mahas expects the Teamsters Local Union 987 to hand the Greater Edmonton Taxi Service a 72 hour strike notice. (td)
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