DriveTest Centres Remain Closed, Workers Rally At Queen’s Park
Posted September 30, 2009 6:32 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DriveTest centres across the province remain closed as a strike continues – and it’s not just frustrated motorists who want it to end.
For nearly six weeks, no one in Ontario has been able to take the exam that would allow them to acquire a driver’s license.
Employees of Serco Inc., who work as driver examiners for the Ministry of Transportation, walked off the job on August 21.
At issue are claims of dwindling hours and insufficient job protection.
Workers rallied at Queen’s Park on Wednesday, calling for an end to the strike.
Premier Dalton McGuinty maintains his government is doing its part to make that happen.
“We would obviously like to see this brought to a speedy resolution. I believe we’ve put in place, or at least offered, a conciliator or mediator to ensure that the parties are speaking and that the talks are productive,” he said.
Serco operates 55 full-time examination centres in Ontario and 38 part-time locations. The company acquired the right to provide driver examination services from MTO in September 2003 for a 10-year term for the sum of $114 million after the decision was made to privatize the service.
The United Steel Workers Local 9511 represents 500 examiners. All tests are postponed while the stoppage continues.
All road tests have been cancelled and would-be drivers will eventually be allowed to reschedule without any penalty.
The union had said it would allow its examiners to perform road tests while on strike, but Transportation Minister Jim Bradley rejected the offer on Wednesday.
If all you need is a license renewal, don’t worry: The Ministry of Transportation has extended your expiry until after the end of the labour disruption. You do not need to do anything to ensure that your license remains valid at this time.
