The terms of the City of Ottawa’s U-Pass contract with Carleton are being re-negotiated as the current contract is in its last of three years.
The City of Ottawa, Carleton administration, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) met last week to discuss potential updates to the U-Pass agreement currently in effect.
The meeting involved a discussion regarding how the program has worked so far and what issues will be addressed in the coming months.
CUSA vice-president (student issues) Maddy Porter said the association is focused on being able to give feedback to OC Transpo and resolve issues.
“Even though there is an agreement, they won’t come to the table to talk about things like late buses, the cancellation of buses. All these things that affect students,” she said.
“The GSA and CUSA both want to ensure there is a mechanism for the students’ unions to address any future issues with the university and OC Transpo,” GSA president Christina Muehlberger said.
Muehlberger added the GSA would like a mechanism to address student bus service issues with the city as they come up throughout the contract.
The GSA also hopes to ensure price stability in the coming U-Pass negotiations with the city, according to Muehlberger.
Porter said a common concern for students is the option of a summer U-Pass, since students now pay around $100 a month during the summer for a bus pass. So far, she said it’s been part of the negotiations.
“That’s something that’s a very viable option,” she said.
The conversation so far has been about administrative issues such as the U-Pass card’s technology, Muehlberger said.
Agreements will likely be reached in the winter term after smaller and more specific meetings in the next couple of months, according to Muehlberger.
“We have both agreed to renew the program and discussions will focus on this,” said Pat Scrimgeour, assistant general manager, Customer Systems & Planning for the City of Ottawa.
“During this time, there are no specific details that will be commented on except to confirm that both OC Transpo and Carleton are confident that the renewal will be in place to provide the U-Pass program once again, beginning in September 2015,” he said in an emailed statement.
Algonquin students voted in a referendum Nov. 21 in an overwhelming majority to adopt the U-Pass, becoming the fourth school in Ottawa to join the program. All schools negotiate their contracts separately.
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