OC Transpo will be laying off 345 employees this year, as part of what Transportation General Manager John Manconi is calling a “workforce adjustment.”
In a memo to the mayor and city council, Manconi says the affected employees will be formally notified by August 3. The transition to LRT requires a reduction in 500,000 working hours per year, Manconi says, meaning there will be fewer employees required to drive and maintain buses.
At first, as many as 480 employees were facing layoffs, but Manconi says that number has been reduced to 345, through a combination of keeping vacant positions unfilled and moving employees to LRT operations, where applicable.
The affected employees will continue to work until the launch of the Confederation Line, which is expected in late fall. The date the Rideau Transit Group says it will hand over the LRT to the City is November 2. Manconi says employees could be working up until December 1, at the latest.
During the period between when employees are notified and when they stop working, Manconi says support will be available. They include things like interview skills and career planning training, and confidential support programs.