City of Winnipeg ponders layoffs and transit cuts as COVID-19 pandemic drains revenue

The City of Winnipeg is moving closer to layoffs and cuts to transit service as the COVID-19 pandemicbites into its revenues.

Mayor Brian Bowman signaled on Tuesday that those decisions may happen in the not-to-distant future.

"The prospect of layoffs, as I'm indicating today, has obviously grown, and we'll have more to say on that sooner than later," Bowman told reporters on a briefing call.

The city has redeployed approximately 70 staff as community ambassadors to help enforce physical distancing regulationsand to work at Winnipeg Harvest.

"There has been tremendous effort to to try to redeploy as many people as possible and to avoid layoffs," Bowman said.

Winnipeg would be among the last major Canadian municipalities to introduce cuts to it's work force.

• City of Calgary says layoffs affect 1,200 employee
• City of Edmonton, public library laying off nearly 2,100 employees

A city report earlier this month predicted losses in revenue and growing expenses that could put Winnipeg in a $75 million hole by July.

Bowman saidanydecision to cut staff would be a hard one to make, butthe health orders prescribingphysical distancing appear to becontinuingfor the near future.

"Certainly the prospect of layoffs has weighed heavily on me andI know other members of council," Bowman said."It is becoming more and more apparent thepandemic efforts are going to lastsome time."

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister announced Tuesday that his government is looking at a shortened work week for public sector employees to avoid layoffs.

Transit schedule may shrink as well

Bowman also acknowledged there may be changes tooperationsat Winnipeg Transit.

The city is currently running a full schedule of buses, despite their own numbers showing a 70 per cent decrease in ridership over last year.

The city's new rapid transit linecalled the Blue Linebetween the downtown, the University of Manitoba and St. Norbert officially opened this past weekend.

• Winnipeg's Southwest Transitway opens with little ceremony and scarce ridership

Bowman said Tuesday the city is looking closely at how the new transit corridor operates, as well as passenger numbers onroutes across the city.

"Ridership is way down, and with the launch of Blue, we are reviewing the data while we consider those options," Bowman said.

However, theunion representing transit drivers and other workers thinks cutting service right now is not the safeway to go at this point.

"Service is still required," said the Amalgamated Transit Union's John Callaghan. "[If ridership] is 70 per cent down, there are still 50,000 people a day on the bus. People going to work; going for groceries."

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The ATU says keeping more buses on the road allows for better physicaldistancing practices on board.

Callaghan saidsome buses are still full of passengers despite the health emergency and the city should have the capacity to meet that demand and follow health rules.

"I'd much rather be criticized for doing too much than too little," Callaghan said.

Bowman said he would be discussing the issue of layoffs with city councillors.