York Region won’t intervene to end transit strike

Commuters hoping for an end to the six-week-long York Region Transit (YRT) strike shouldn’t hold their breath after officials said they won’t intervene or pursue back-to-work legislation.

York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch is demanding that the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the companies contracted to operate buses in the region return to the bargaining table.  He’s also calling on transit workers to return to their jobs while negotiations continue.

There have been no meaningful talks since the strike, which Fisch described as a “politically-motivated attack on our transit model,” began Oct. 24.

“Based on comments by both parties … there is room for both to settle on a fair contract,” Fisch said at a news conference late Friday morning, noting some substantial offers were put on the table by contractors that were ignored by the union.

“We have never witnessed such a complete disregard for the negotiation process at the expense of our residents, families and businesses,” he said.

“It is unacceptable to purposely leverage the personal agendas of a few at the expense of so many.”

ATU Local 113 President Bob Kinnear, who represents VIVA workers, said the region’s news conference Friday was nothing more than a response to criticism from local provincial representatives that it wasn’t doing enough.

Progressive Conservatives Frank Klees, Peter Shurman and Julia Munro wanted back-to-work legislation introduced and the YRT designated an essential service.

“Obviously they’ve held this press conference to create the perception that they are involved or that they do care,” Kinnear said.

“This announcement doesn’t do anything to move the process forward.”

ATU Local 1587 President Ray Doyle, who represents Miller and First Canada workers, said he expected the region to accept the union’s three-week-old request for binding arbitration.

“That decision would’ve put drivers back to work immediately, the transit system back up and have a third party look at the jobs, the wages and the benefits and make a ruling on that,” he said.

Doyle said an arbitrator wouldn’t result in increased costs for York Region residents and said the companies operating the buses are making big profits off their contracts—money he says isn’t being paid to workers.

“An arbitrator does not make a ruling that is consistent with bankrupting any company,” he said. “They will look at the ability to pay and that there is a fair and reasonable one.”

Doyle speculated the contractors don’t want a third party because it would discover that their offers aren’t reasonable.

Fisch said neither arbitration nor back-to-work legislation is the answer when it comes to ending the job action.

About 600 transit workers, including bus drivers, walked off the job. They’re represented by two locals of the ATU, which ramped up its efforts this past week, holding pickets and delaying buses leaving garages.

ATU locals 1587 and 113 represent the workers and they’re calling on the companies contracted to run buses in York Region—First Canada, Miller Transit and Veolia—to submit to arbitration to end the strike. The union has also called on the region to step in to solve the impasse.

The strike has disrupted the daily commute for about 50,000 people. Wages, benefits and lengths of shifts are key points to be resolved.

Fisch said calls to change to transit model and have the region take over wouldn’t solve the labour disputes, and would create a bigger tax burden on residents.

“That would be on top of the $340 each household pays for transit each year,” he said.

He noted YRT has faced only two strikes in its 30-year history, while the publicly-funded TTC has faced more. An additional $10 million would be needed to meet the ATU’s wage demands, he said. That would require a tax increase or a 45-cent fare hike for riders—on top of a fare increase set to take effect in January.

“By imposing a great deal of hardship on the ridership … the unions have turned on the very people they’re asking to foot the bill for these demands,” Fisch said.”Ironically, the unions are faulting a business model that saves our taxpayers and riders money.”
 
GO Transit said pickets delayed its buses Friday morning at the Finch, York University, Newmarket and Yorkdale stations. The delays ranged anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

Passengers at the Newmarket terminal were eventually asked to board alternate buses.

A bus trip from Pickering to York University was also cancelled for unspecified reasons.