Primary Navigation

Secondary Navigation

News Home
> Canada News
> Surprise transit strike...

Mon Apr 28, 6:29 PM

What's this

By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press

TORONTO - After being caught off guard by a surprise strike and spending a day-and-a-half without transit service, Toronto commuters urged government leaders on Monday to designate Canada's largest transit system an essential service.

Removing the transit workers' right to strike was on the lips of many of the city's 1.5 million bus, streetcar and subway riders, who said they're happy to have the work stoppage behind them and hope it doesn't happen ever again.

"The economy of this entire city is dependent on the free flow of transit and even two days were enough to show that the city can't live or can't work without it," said David Cuthbertson, 57, a manager of a fundraising company.

The city's outrage over the work stoppage was a clear sign there needs to be serious consideration of essential service status for the Toronto Transit Commission, chairman Adam Giambrone said in an interview.

While that decision may seem like a no-brainer to some transit users, making the TTC an essential service would put an arbitrator in control of decisions - likely mean higher wages for workers.

Despite that, the threat of illegal wildcat strikes or work-to-rule campaigns wouldn't be completely eliminated.

"Clearly, people feel very strongly about this, and I have an obligation as chair of the TTC to understand the pros and cons," Giambrone said.

"I've traditionally been against essential-service legislation because of the costs, the loss of control, but I'm leaning more towards it at this point and certainly I want to see some very detailed analysis of what it would mean for the TTC."

The city needs to find a creative way to handle labour negotiations that would keep the heat on those at the bargaining table without punishing the public, said University of Toronto professor John Kervin.

Although Montreal's transit workers went on strike last year they were still required to provide some limited rush hour and weekend service.

"That was really a clever way of getting around it," said Kervin. "(Toronto) should find a way to inflict pain on both sides (but not the public) and that's the whole point."

He said the TTC may not need to be an essential service given that Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty showed an immediate willingness to legislate workers back on the job.

"The right to strike is unpleasant but bearable provided that we've got that safety valve in legislation," Kervin said.

"Strikes provide some leverage and power for unions to actually make bargaining fair, to have that to and fro and that back and forth at the negotiating table, so you don't want to take those away without some really serious consideration."

On Monday, Ontario Labour Minister Brad Duguid said the city should take some time to think it over before rushing to a decision.

"My advice, as gratuitous as it is from (the provincial legislature), would be for city council to take a close look at it," he said.

"There are pros and cons to it, one would think it might be wise to wait a little while before the debate takes place."

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory also said he would like to see some debate to ensure the public doesn't end up trading commuting security for outrageous fare increases.

"The service is clearly crucial to a properly functioning economy, to families living their lives and so on," Tory said.

"But you also have to remember it's the very same people who pay the freight, who pay the bills to run these transit systems and if you turn over major matters of compensation to arbitrators, you lose the accountability."

Most people probably don't want transit workers to be stripped of their rights but the union should think twice about its tactics in the future if it doesn't want to completely alienate the public, said 22-year-old Heather Playford.

"They need to make a stand and have to do it in a certain way but I don't think it's fair to take (transit) away from everybody because some of us can't afford to take cabs everywhere."