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TTC Union Edges Closer to Strike

 
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:12 pm    Post subject: TTC Union Edges Closer to Strike Reply with quote

Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

A TTC strike as early as next week appears more likely after the transit workers' union walked away from the bargaining table yesterday.

The workers, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, will be in a legal strike position as of midnight Monday, potentially affecting 1.5 million people who use the buses, streetcars and subways on most weekdays.

The TTC is taking a hard line on negotiations to demonstrate the city's need for more provincial funding, a source told the Star.

"They really want to play hardball and we're the first people up to the plate. They want us to go on strike. They've got the city workers inside and out coming in behind us," said the source.

Reached late yesterday, union president Bob Kinnear would only say: "We are going to do everything we can to try and get a fair and equitable deal. We recognize the issues the city has and we're receptive to their concerns."

TTC workers make about $26.58 an hour compared with $26.62 for Mississauga Transit workers, who got a 4 per cent increase in their last contract, Kinnear said in February. Toronto transit workers aren't willing to fall further behind, he said then.

The Toronto union expected the commission would present a stronger offer after its members almost unanimously rejected a first contract offer March 12, but that hasn't happened, said the Star source. "They're just moving (the money) around."

At a news conference two weeks ago, Kinnear said the initial offer included a 2 per cent increase in each year of a four-year deal. He has repeatedly said the union is determined to get better benefits in the upcoming contract. Sick benefits and injury compensation are said to be a key sticking point.

A Toronto Star investigation published this year showed that a growing number of front-line TTC workers are beaten, threatened, spit upon and verbally abused by the public, putting their rate of post-traumatic stress above that of Ontario police officers.

It's expected if the TTC workers strike the city will ask the province to legislate them back to work.

A one-day illegal walkout by TTC workers in May 2006 left the city in chaos. The commission said the action cost the system about $3 million in lost fares.

The union and commission reached a deal last year in which the union agreed to revise the way the subway system was staffed if the TTC agreed not to pursue the lost fare revenue in court.

TTC officials refused to comment on negotiations yesterday.
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