Durham Transit Strike On After Talks Break Down
The action means 30,000 riders in Pickering, Oshawa, Ajax and Clarington will be forced to find alternate transportation for the duration of the walkout.
Negotiations between DRT and CAW Local 222 broke down late in the day, despite marathon last minute attempts to salvage an agreement.
The dispute centres on employee benefits, cost of living adjustments, contracting out and part time workers. Both sides have been at the bargaining table trying to hammer out a deal since the end of May.
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The union took a strike vote and decided on the October 5th date in September, but those involved hoped it could be avoided.
CAW Local president Chris Buckley insists the collective offered to take the impasse to arbitration, but claims the company refused, arguing its offer was more than fair.
“You have to wonder why the region is hesitant to allow an arbitrator to decide this, if management truly believes its final offer is so attractive,” he muses. “In fact, why doesn’t the region use the provisions in provincial labour law and put their offer to a vote of the membership?”
But Transit’s Garth Johns begs to differ, noting the union made so many unreasonable demands arbirtration wouldn’t have solved anything.
“The demands by the union were simply too expensive and it would have unduly restricted the Commission’s ability to provide an efficient and effective transit service to the residents of Durham,” he outlines in a statement.
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The Commision is pledging to keep its service for those with special medical needs going, but everyone else is out of luck.
Passengers in Whitby and Brooklin aren’t affected – their service is contracted out. GO trains and buses into the area will also run as usual.
And North Durham Community Bus operations in the Townships of Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock will continue as well.
Customers are advised to hold onto their October passes until after the strike.
Local 222 is part of the Canadian Auto Workers, and represents about 300 bus drivers and support personnel.
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No new talks are scheduled.
Tune into to BreakfastTelevision on Friday morning for extra traffic reports and Live Eyes to help you avoid the inevitable delays.
For more on both sides of the dispute call 1-866-247-0055, or check the following websites:
- CAW Local 222
