Monday, January 19, 2009

Layoffs loom for drivers if bus fleet remains unchecked

According to reports, OC Transpo General Manager Alain Mercier is asking that mechanics, who form part of the mebership of the striking Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279, be allowed to return to work to begin bringing buses back into running condition.

The buses have largely been sitting idle for 41 days without significant maintenance or running. Although citizens have seen some empty buses moving around the city as management has tried to keep some in running condition.

Mercier said that unless mechanics are able to return to work with time to get buses ready for drivers, there could be up to 500 temporary layoffs while the buses are brought back into running shape. According to the Ottawa Metro, the city is considering significant measures to try and get the fleet running, which will take a significant amount of time anyway:
OC Transpo is exploring the option to expedite the certification and inspections, and could even end up sending buses to Montreal, Kingston or Toronto to have some of the work done.

Mercier said they will focus on the Transitway, mainline routes and hospital areas during peak-periods for the first two weeks. O-Train service would begin almost as soon as the strike is over.

The rest of the mainline routes across the city would come back on line over the next five weeks, with express and local services not expected in service during the peak hours until the seventh week.
Mainstream media coverage in:

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Union busting, plain and simple. Trying to scare the most junior employees into submission. Nice try.

I guess that's their way of "not negotiating in the media".

Anonymous said...

What a crock, "union busting". It's called economic reality. No buses in service, no drivers needed. Simple.

I sure hope the drivers comprehend the magnitude of the decision they've made. Legal strike, for sure - but you got to live with the repercussions.

"According to Mercier, close to 750 drivers will remain off the job for the first two weeks once the strike is over and as many as 500 won’t be able to earn a pay cheque for up to five to six weeks and in some cases as many as seven weeks. That’s bad news for drivers been off the job for the past six weeks."

Anonymous said...

Wow, you guys are good Jon D., 21 minute from post to "reply".

There must be dozens of you paid just to "reply"...

ATU should think about this strategy; at the end they have 2300 idle people who could contribute to this war of hate and showing who has bigger dick: General A or General B.

Anonymous said...

DIRM: That could be the most poorly, verging on schizophrenic, comment I've ever read. Congratulations.

Anonymous said...

Union busting, plain and simple

If ever there was a union that deserved busting.

Trying to scare the most junior employees into submission

All the union does is take money from the most junior members anyways. They don't join the union out of choice, but because they are told to or coerced into it. And then they get to pay 'protection' so that some guy who wears a suit except when he's on TV gets to make 200K/year off their back by enforcing rules on seniority (which junior members don't have much of) and the like.

It's essentially an organized protection racket.

What a crock indeed.