EON

Toronto - The TTC strike is over, and all over the city buses, streetcars, and subway trains are moving again. The Ontario Legislature has ordered the striking TTC workers back to work.

Partial TTC service resumed late Sunday afternoon. Full service expected Monday morning.

During the debate at Queens Park the politicians asked TTC users to show respect and not be abusive towards bus, streetcar and subway operators and drivers.

After the vote the TTC issued this statement:

“With the passage of back-to-work legislation today at Queen’s Park, the Toronto Transit Commission is pleased to announce that service will resume later today, with full rush-hour service running Monday morning.

“The TTC has contacted all of its employees. Those who were scheduled for a shift this afternoon are being asked to report to work. It will take the TTC approximately three to four hours to bring the service up to safe, normal operating standards. The TTC has every faith that the women and men who move this city will do so with professionalism.

“Some customers may experience delays early in the process of restoring service. The TTC acknowledges the frustration and inconvenience everyone has faced since Friday evening, and is working hard to restore service as quickly as possible. The TTC also requests the public to please remember that TTC employees have a right to be treated with dignity. The TTC’s chief concern is safety - both for its customers and its workers.”

TTC Union president Bob Kinnear issued the following statement:

“The union that represents 9,000 operating and maintenance workers of the Toronto Transit Commission will end the strike called at midnight on Friday in compliance with back-to-work legislation passed today by the Ontario legislature.

“We would have preferred a negotiated settlement that addressed the reasons why the previous TTC offer was rejected so strongly by our members. We made several proposals to the TTC on Saturday but all of them were turned down because they knew we would be legislated back to work.

“We agree, however, with the appointment of Mr. Kevin Burkett as the arbitrator in this case. Mr. Burkett has an outstanding reputation as an impartial and thorough arbitrator and we believe we will get a fair hearing.

“We have called all our members by phone to advise them that the strike is now over and that they can report to work as early as today if they have had the proper rest and can perform their duties safely.

“We are a democratic union and that is our greatest strength. We encourage diversity of opinion but it is important that we ultimately come together on issues of vital importance to us all. We have always done so in the past and we will do so again.”

Toronto Transit Commission workers voted against a tentative agreement reached last weekend by 65 per cent and walked off the job Friday at midnight.

Toronto Mayor David Miller called the surprise strike unacceptable and irresponsible. The Mayor told CFRB that he called Premier Dalton McGuinty Friday night to ask for his government to table back to work legislation. Miller was angry during his appearance on CFRB. He says he called union president Bob Kinnear to express his disappointment with the lack of notice before the strike began. Miller said the union president refused his demand to keep the TTC in service.

The strike left many people stranded downtown and across Toronto. Callers to CFRB complained that striking drivers pulled their buses to the side of the road at midnight and ordered everyone off.

Some TTC union members called the CFRB talk shows over the weekend to defend walking off the job without notice. Other TTC employees said they disagreed with the strike.

In a release, ATU Local 113 leader Bob Kinnear explained why TTC service was halted overnight: “”We have assessed the situation and decided that we will not expose our members to the dangers of assaults from angry and irrational members of the public.

“The reports from our members of increases in threats and abuse from passengers last weekend, after we gave our original 48-hours’ notice, has left us no choice but to withdraw our services immediately. We have a legal responsibility to protect the safety of our members and so does the TTC. We have informed the TTC and the Ministry of Labour of this development. Our Executive will be meeting on Saturday morning to determine our next steps.”

The deal covering some 8,900 drivers and maintenance workers was forged last Sunday, narrowly averting a walkout the following morning.

The union was recommending that its members accept the three-year deal, which included annual three per cent wage increases.

A key sticking point during the negotiations was a demand that workers hurt on the job receive full pay if they are unable to work. Workers thought they had won that point. However, during information meetings TTC drivers learned it wasn’t as clear cut as they thought. Instead of full payment they had to appear before a panel that would decide the extent of their compensation.

TTC maintenance workers said they voted against the deal because they didn’t get the guarantees of job security they were demanding.Many drivers voted against the offer in support of the maintenance workers.