2008 Toronto Transit Commission strike

(ATU) Local 113 leader, claimed that the lack of an advance notice was necessary to protect the TTC employees from "angry and irrational members of the public".

General synopsis

The strike occurred when the two unions, ATU Local 113 and Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2, voted 65% to reject the offer made on April 20, 2008. The result of the ratification vote was completed just after 10:00 p.m. on April 25. Torontonians and TTC employees were given 90 minutes notice of the impending strike at around 10:30 p.m. Internet gossip based on information from unofficial sources began around 10:50 p.m.

The rejected offer was a result of a provincial mediation between the unions and the TTC management. The deal had offered TTC operators a 3% wage increase each year for three years. Some operators and maintenance staff were not pleased with the offer and the concerns over the injury compensation plan. TTC employees voiced their concerns over the week prior to the shutdown.

According to reports [http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2008/04/25-ttc_worker.shtml] much of the dispute is around contracting out work.

Back-to-work legislation

to consider a bill (Bill 66) to order the union back to work. cite news
last = Benzie
first = Robert
coauthors = Curtis Rush
title = Order in council signed
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = The Toronto Star
date = 2008-04-26
url = http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/418772
accessdate = 2008-04-26] The legislature was in session at 1:30 p.m. on April 27. Ontario Progressive Conservative leader John Tory announced his support for back-to-work legislation. New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton initially reserved judgment until he was able to read the proposed legislation, although at 6:05 p.m. the same day, he stated live on Citytv Toronto's "CityNews" that he did in fact support the legislation as well.Fact|date=April 2008

On April 27, 2008 a back-to-work law (Bill 66) was unanimously passed by the Ontario Legislature, a process which only took 30 minutes. The law was quickly given Royal Assent by David Onley, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, making it official after 2 p.m. The TTC was given a few hours to ensure the system was safe enough to operate. Most transit service resumed by that evening. [ cite news
title = TTC ordered back to work
publisher = The Toronto Star
date = 2008-04-27
url = http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Transportation/article/418964
accessdate = 2008-04-27]

Offer

* Term: three years, expiring March 31, 2011
* Wages: April 1, 2008 - 3%; April 1, 2009 - 3%; April 1, 2010 - 3%
* Vision Care: $300 every 2 years; plus $50 for exams
* Dental Care: major restorative, including implants up to $2,500
* Orthodontic: up to $4,000 (50% TTC coverage)
* Physio & Chiro: $1,000 max ($35 per visit)
* Long-term Disability: $2,550 max, per month

Source: TTC [cite news | url = http://torontoist.com/2008/04/ttc_agreement_d.php | title = TTC Strike 2008: Negotiated Settlement Details]

ee also

* 2006 TTC wildcat strike
* Toronto Transit Commission personnel
* Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local 113
* Adam Giambrone, city councillor and Chair of the TTC

References

External links

* [http://www.ttc.ca/ TTC Website]
* [http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_22071.aspx TTC Workers Now On Strike]
* [http://wemovetoronto.ca/index.asp?pid=153 We Move Toronto]
* [http://ttcwatch.com TTC Watch]