York transit workers reject contract that averted strike
Posted February 16, 2011 8:03 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
York Region bus drivers and mechanics have voted to reject the proposed deal with Veolia Transportation that averted a transit strike Sunday night.
“This employer has a reputation of not treating their employees according to the services that they’re providing. We advised the employer very clearly on Sunday evening that we anticipated some challenges in selling the agreement to the membership,” said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113’s president Bob Kinnear.
Kinnear says the major issue is the employees’ frustration with Veolia Transportation, along with health benefits and starting pay.
Now that the contract was rejected, Kinnear says a strike is possible.
“We are going to communicate with the employer this evening, we hope to have discussions over the next couple of days. If the employer is unwilling to move off their position we would anticipate a strike Monday morning.”
Veolia Transportation responded with a written statement:
“Veolia Transportation is surprised and disappointed that the tentative agreement which received a unanimous recommendation by the Amalgamated Transit Union’s (ATU) Local 113 negotiating team was rejected by the membership.
“Veolia representatives have been in touch with union leaders and will be working with them over the next several days to determine the next steps.
“We are unable to provide any further information until Veolia Transportation and the ATU 113 Officials talk further,” the company said in a statement.
Veolia and the union struck a tentative deal Sunday night, just minutes before the strike deadline. Just over 200 workers voted on it Wednesday night. Veolia operates 28 bus routes used by approximately 28,000 riders a day for York Region Transit, mostly in Vaughan.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 — the same local that represents the TTC — claims Veolia employees are the lowest-paid transit workers in the GTA. Sick days were also a major issue in negotiations. The union said workers have no compensable sick days.
