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York transit strike nears end after key agreements

Striking York Region Transit workers hit the picket line in this undated file photo. York Region transit workers strike in this undated file photo.
Striking York Region Transit workers hit the picket line in this undated file photo.

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ctvtoronto.ca

Date: Thursday Jan. 26, 2012 10:58 PM ET

Full bus service in York Region could resume in nine days after members for one of three unions voted in favour of a contract offer, while another union reached a tentative agreement on Thursday some three months after the strike first began.

Workers from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 voted 77 per cent in support of their latest contract offer. The union represents approximately 220 operators and mechanics employed by York BRT Services.

The union reached a deal Tuesday with Veolia Transportation, which operates the Viva bus service under contract with York Region Transit for five routes in the region.

Service to those routes is expected to resume on Feb. 4.

"They want to get back to doing what they do best and that is servicing the people of York Region," Bob Kinnear, president of Local 113, told CP24. "You could see there was a lot of enthusiasm in the room to the fact that they are going to get back to work and that the employers substantially improved their most recent offer of a week ago."

Details of the four-year deal were not released.

Meanwhile, ATU Local 1587 and Miller Transit reached a tentative agreement as well, increasing the likelihood of full service resuming in York Region shortly.

Ray Doyle, president ATU Local 1587, said the workers will hear details of the agreement at a meeting tentatively scheduled for January 28.

"After long, arduous discussion, management has finally come forward with a reasonable offer which is all we have asked for from the beginning. We have asked for a reasonable offer; reasonable benefits for these workers and I'm very proud of the members who have stood strong and gave us this opportunity to negotiate on their behalf," he told CP24.

Bus drivers and mechanics represented by three unions walked off the job on Oct. 24, shutting down service to 60 per cent of the region and stranding some 44,000 commuters. The main sticking point in the lengthy strike was benefits.

"Today's vote is a win for both the riders who will see Viva service restored and the operators who return to work with a fair offer," York Region chairman Bill Fisch said in a release.

Also on Thursday, the region said it awarded a contract to TOK Transit Ltd. for the operation of YRT/Viva's North Division starting Feb. 4. The contract with First Canada was terminated last week.

Once full service resumes, passengers will be given free rides for at least one month, a promise the region made during the lengthy strike to appease frustrated riders.


Comments are now closed for this story

Rob
said

I live in the region and this strike has cost me a fortune in lost time and fuel.I also know quite a few people who have lost their jobs over this strike. I for one believe that the contracts to the companies that provide this service should be terminated now and that any company hired by the region must have a contract in place with their employees for the length of the contract issued by the Region, I have zero sympathy for unions that hold taxpayers hostage, personally I would fire all of them.


spaz
said

Perhaps they would like to go back to work after all......looks to me like picketing is FAR tougher than their paid work.
After being off the job sooooooo long, anyone willing to guess how long, if ever it will take to recoup the lost wages ???

Looks like this picketing stuff is hard work.....on your feet the whole time.....no mandatory breaks......no coffee just steps away...and all that snow has my boots soggy.


toms
said

who cares , they will never make up the money they lost during the strike .
thats what happens when you have your big fat unions looking after you .
i say get rid of your union, i wonder if your union leader was payed while you were on strike.


Dina
said

I agree with Rob, would have fired them all and hired new drivers that want to work.


neill00
said

I guess the union didn't have the company over the barrel quite they way they thought they did.

It's ridiculous what they were going for and all the people that held out from First Canada just had the rug pulled out from under them.

They were trying to go from what $20/hr to $30/hr in one shot? Seriously??? They really thought they would negotiate a 33% increase in one shot. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!!

If they wanted some sort of parody do it a bit at a time. Just try to make up a bit of ground with each contract until you're within a reasonable reach and then maybe make a pitch for full parody.


It's almost as bad as the 99%er occupy whatevers. What was their point? What would have to have happened before they would say "OK thanks, that's what we wanted, we'll leave now." Would all the people with money hand it out to all the people without. If that's the case they would be there the rest of their lives if Toronto hadn't rescued them and forced them to leave.


Alanna
said

The inconvenience this strike has caused is uncalled for. For all the taxpayers in York Region. The thing that really blows my mind is that YRT had the nerve to raise the fare on Jan 2 to ride the transit when they were fully on strike. Once the strike is over they are only giving the patrons 1 month free ridership, they should provide the service for free for 3 months, that they were on strike for us patrons.


Rob
said

Now will the region live up to its offer of free transit service that they promissed during the strike, I say that should be 3 months of free service, which will not even come close to covering extra costs and lost jobs suffered by the people who pay all the wages of services in York Region, remember we are not clients we are your BOSS


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