ATU Local 113 and Veolia Reach a Tentative Agreement
By now I expect most people will have heard the good news: A tentative agreement was reached last night between Local 113 and Veolia. This doesn’t mean the strike is over, but if the agreement is ratified by the membership in a vote tomorrow we could see Viva service resume on February 4th.
Note this agreement only relates to Viva service. We won’t know until tomorrow’s Council meeting what the Region’s plans are for restoring service in the north division, and there is no word yet of an agreement between Local 1587 and Miller for the southeast division—although as I’ve said many times, I expect if one local returns to work the other will follow soon thereafter.
As a result I’m pretty sure we’re seeing the end of the strike play out right now. I have no doubt Local 113 members will approve the agreement tomorrow. The union leaders are recommending they vote yes,
and Local president Bob Kinnear has been emphatic lately that he has the members on his side. But the drivers must also be aware there’s more at stake this time around. As Abdurahman Ibrahim wrote on Facebook yesterday:
If they reject this coming offer, chances are the contract between York BRT and York Region will be terminated and the viva workers will likely be out of work. So it’s decide to give up this strike or sign the pink slip and be future endeavored.
I think there’s a lot of truth to that.
Incidentally, it’s just this sort of pressure that has both locals appearing in front of the Ontario Labour Relations Board today. They’re protesting the timing of the Region’s dismissal of First Canada, which happened just two days before last week’s vote by Local 113 on an offer from Veolia. Although the members voted to reject that offer, the decision was not as unanimous as it had been in Local 1587′s rejection of Miller’s offer the week prior. And that surprised me considering Local 113 appears to be the more militant of the two.
Simultaneously, the Region is seeking redress for what it claims are violations of the injunction it won last month to place limits on the union’s picketing activity. To what extent these two things are related, I’m not sure. But even though an agreement between the union and the contractors is drawing near, the union and the Region are continuing to spar through the legal system.
Veolia and the Unions have come to an agreement!
http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/323288–majority-of-striking-veolia-transit-workers-vote-in-favour-of-accepting-contract-offer
While I’m not privvy to the remainder of the contract, I’m happy with this line frmo the news: “The new four-year agreement will provide wage increases and benefits, including healthcare and sick days.”
I think in order to keep our country healthy, benefits, including healthcare, must be provided. I may be altruistic beyond reason, but I’m willing to wait something like this out in order for people in labour to get a portion of the benefits I enjoy working white collar.
Most of my friends who use the bus, though, have had their patience eroded away, adn I hope that evrything will resume smoothly once the buses start runing again.
@Alyssa: Four years contract – be prepared for the next Viva strike, combined with the Southwest. Their contracts will now expire at the same time. Hopefully Miller won’t get the same contract span, otherwise it will be worse than it was now.
You are not altruistic, you are looking at the benefits from the employee side only. Try and look at the benefits (including healthcare) from the employer perspective.
When I was under contract at my engineering job, I had ZERO benefits and no health coverage for half a year.
Everything came out of pocket, and a lot of times, I didn’t pay for presecriptions (probably making other people at my work sick, in hind sight) because I would not take a day off and lose the pay.
I am a desk jockey, and though I do some serious work, I have people above me who check my work. If I mess up because I’m a) exhausted b) sick or c) overstressed, I know my boss will catch my mistakes.
Now, someone driving a multi-ton vehicle (filled with kids, workers, ME!) doesn’t have that QA/QC process I have. If they are faced with a situation like mine, where they are sick, with no benefits, no drug plan and no health coverage, and most imporatant of all, no pay if they don’t work, they’re going to drive, more likely than not. They might take over the counter meds like sudafed, and hide their symptoms and they may potentially risk a lot of people’s lives because they’re not 100%
My 300 bus runs along the 407. We go over 100km/h in the morning, and will be in some pretty dangerous conditions. I want the person driving my bus, taking my one and only god-given body, to get me to work in one piece.
I dont’ want someone who is sick with the flu showing up to work around seniors who are sensitive to colds, viruses and other ailements.
I don’t think this is extraordinary to ask for – rather I think this is common sense. And from a Helath & Safety point of view, a good choice.
@Alyssa: Well said.
@OP: I was wondering if that meant the contracts were now aligned. I remember this was mentioned on YRT’s strike-information page at one point, but when I went to check it I found it is now curiously truncated above that point.
If the contracts are aligned, you’re right: The southwest division now has the leverage they need to demand in four years’ time the same concessions Veolia just granted to the Viva drivers. Then, four years later, the Viva drivers can strike over the huge raise the southwest drivers got in the last round. And round and round we go.
@Alyssa: Points well taken; I was taking your comment I think in order to keep our country healthy, benefits, including healthcare, must be provided. as referring to ALL employees, not specific for the bus drivers (and, as a matter of fact, any job that has direct contact with the public).
Reality check: although desirable, the todays’ throat cutting business environment simply doesn’t allow this kind of benefits to be universal. In particular, small and medium enterprises do not usually qualify (mostly because of their size) for starting “group benefits”. Otherwise, check how much a private health insurance costs, in particular for people in their 50′s, and let me know how you would include these costs in your budget, while keeping your bids competitive.
There is always the possibility of a law defined mandatory health and benefit package (employer and employee shared, Obama Care style) but I don’t think it’s gonna happen anytime soon here.
OP:
I think you’re bang-on;
Its not fair that some people get extraoridnary benefits while others don’t. Its a problem that is coming to a boil, especially in light of the past year’s events.
In some ways, Canada is becoming too close to the USA, and I’m very worried about the road ahead.