Federal Labour Minister Grants City Request to Hold Union Vote on Final Offer
This afternoon the City of Ottawa received word from The Minister of Labour, The Honourable Rona Ambrose, that the Federal Government has granted the City’s request to put its final offer before the membership of the ATU 279 for a vote.
Below, I have attached a memo that was forwarded to Council this afternoon:
I am writing to advise that the Federal Minister of Labour, The Honourable Rona Ambrose, has granted the City’s request that its last offer be put before the membership of the ATU 279 for a vote.
As you will recall, following the Union’s rejection of the City’s last offer and its withdrawal from negotiations, lawyers for the City made a formal request to the Minister that she exercise her authority under Section 108.1 of the Canada Labour Code and direct a supervised vote of the Union membership on the offer. The Minister, in calling for a supervised vote has responded to our position that there is a pressing public interest in having the OC Transpo strike resolved as soon as possible, that the most effective means of achieving this is to allow the members to vote directly on the City’s proposals.
The vote will be conducted and supervised by the Canada Industrial Relations Board no later than January 9, 2009.
Given this result, it is my intention to call a Special Meeting of Council early next week.
Mayor Larry O’Brien
December 31st, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Keep your bribe. Im voting NO.
December 31st, 2008 at 6:37 pm
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=53680764492&ref=nf
December 31st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
If the Mayor can’t run the city then step down! It seems the Mayor went cring to the feds to do his job!
December 31st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
You could have ended this strike a long time ago Mayor, you might think citizens are mad at the srikers but a lot of us are just mad at you and Cityhall. You have lost my confidence and my vote. (Well you never had it in the first place but you might have had it one day if you had been competent during this crisis).
January 1st, 2009 at 9:12 am
So Mr. Mayor, are you going to back down on the scheduling, if the union votes the city’s offer down?
January 1st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
way to go larry! now we have to wait nine more days till the union votes no. you’ve saved enough already! take the damn scheduling off the table so we can all get our lives back on track.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I’m glad to hear that there has been some progress - as a local business owner and taxpayer it is nice to see that the city has held it’s ground on this issue. I have read the offer made to the drivers and find it to be more than fair - now let’s present a vote.
Likewise I firmly believe that this issue has to be resolved but not at any price. Keep up the good work - I know this fight is far from being an easy one!
Our affected staff members have secured alternate transportation for the duration of the strike and we can sustain our operations without the busses for as long as it takes.
Regards,
Andy Brule
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 am
“the most effective means of achieving this is to allow the members to vote directly on the City’s proposals”
Given that 98% of the union vote initially rejected the offer and that the major sticking points in the first offer haven’t been amended in later offers, I’m curious just how this is supposed to help.
And/or does this move have something to do with trying to declare OC Transpo an essential service (which the CIRB can apparently do)?
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:50 am
If the membership of ATU 279 vote to reject the City’s final offer I think they should be locked out! I think the City’s final offer is even too generous as it currently stands, and if they do not accept it - we should be done with this Union for good - once and for all!
It is up to the members now - if they do not accept the City’s offer - we should just forget all about this Unuion and be done with them - for good!
If the membership were smart and wise, they would vote to accept - if they do otherwise - they do it at their peril!
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Larry,
In the very least, give them the 15% top-up for Worker’s Comp if they are assaulted at work by passengers (if the letter on the transit strike website is correct in this regard). And install some cameras in the buses that do not have them. You had no problem forcing the cab drivers to install cameras.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
The quickest way to solve this issue would be returning to the bargaining tables and not sit around and wait for a vote that is uncertain to provide any solutions.
What happens if the union votes no to the offer? What will you do? Continue to not negotiate?
The people of Ottawa pay you to solve problems and fix issues that effect us. Simply put you are not doing your job. Please return to the bargaining tables with good faith and put an end to this situation.
If you continue to not perform your duties as mayor I will do everything in my power to have you removed from Office.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
Could you be so kind as to post the letter you received from the Minister.
Thanks,
Klaus
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:21 am
As a taxpayer in this City, my taxes are going towards paying the salaries of these striking workers, and if the membership of the ATU 279 vote to reject the City’s offer, then I want the City - on my behalf - to look into privatizing all or part of our City bus system and to take the sign on bonuses off the table - and to make that the next ‘final offer’ !
Kevin Shea
Ottawa
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Larry, as I understand it this Section 108.1 of the Labour Code came into bring back in 1993, since then there have been a number of strikes by transit companies across the country. We had one here that went on for 66 days, the city negotiated a settlement fair and square. This section has never been used before and here you are calling for it ten days after a legal strike began. Did we have a better group of politicians back then, ones willing to negotiate? You say this is the most effective means of resolving the strike, seems to me this is the most effective way for you to dodge your responcibilities. On your blog you say how dissapointed you were that concil didn’t take all the time necessary to complete the budget review and here you are passing on your job. Typical behaviour of a bully, pass the blame to others and show no regrets. Perhaps if you are incapable at labour negotions you should have removed yourself long before this. This action may be seen as possitive by a few but the rest of us will see the bully you really are. Shame on you ‘rock star’
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I am sorry to say,but this should have been applied for long before now.With the country in a major recession,there has been additional un-necessary loss of revenue/jobs not to mention the in-convenience to the general public.Obviously the union has not been guiding the rank & file members properly.I would appreciate if your office could use whatever means are at it’s disposal to keep the workers informed & educated with regards to their right to work,their rights to freedom of speech,what the union is in fact supposed to be doing for them & not what they are hearing ,the great inconvinence thay are causing to the actual employer ie:THE PUBLIC.–Lets get the show on the road-or,get it off the road.Ray G…
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
This might be stating the obvious, but forcing a vote does not force the parties to resolve the dispute. It is likely that the drivers may (and probably will) refuse the “revised” offer and we’ll be back at square one. (Even at that, the forced vote is likely to take place on the last day of the deadline and even if the dispute is resolved it could be up to a week or more before the service is back up and running again) The “estimated” $3.4 million (annually) that the City hopes to save by controlling driver scheduling has already been incurred many times over by the taxpayers and citizens of this capital city. (In other words, the real costs of the strike have by far exceeded this “estimated” amount) These out-of-pocket expenses should come directly out of Mr. O’Brien’s 40% salary increase, since he is expecting the people of Ottawa to do the same.
If the municipal government were actually “competent” as it claims to be, it would have resolved this issue BEFORE the strike seemed imminent. Instead, the City waited to the last minute to present its “final” offer, which was unsurprisingly refused by the drivers. Given that the City was less prepared than the other side, it should have been prepared to make a few more concessions to the more leveraged and better prepared side. Instead, council kept its rigid position without regard for the effects that a lack of transit service would have. Ignoring the fact that various levels of government have long promoted mass transit as a convenient and environmentally friendly alternative and left its users in the cold (literally) when the service is interrupted, the strike has meant lost revenues for retailers, missed appointments for seniors, lost jobs, time and revenues for individuals. If the City were more lenient with parking regulations and encouraging by-law officers to help traffic flow and direct drivers to spaces or lots instead of ticketing them, then the strike would be a bit more manageable. Instead, the City has maintained this cash-grabbing approach, all the while saving substantial amounts by the interruption of the service.
I have lost sympathy for all sides in this dispute, though I am particularly ashamed by the “businessman” approach to managing the city. It’s a city, not a business. If this approach was held, instead of the “business” approach, then I believe Ottawa could become a world-class capital city, like other capital cities in federal governments. It seems that all our politicians are good for is blaming others and coming up with a plethora of excuses. As expected, the results of this only creates more criticism.
Thanks so much for an excellent holiday season, Mr. O’Brien. Your timing was really excellent. You have shown your competence since you took office in practically every matter.
NOT!
Piz Sedoff
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
In a statement, Ms. Ambrose said “the fastest way to resolve this matter is for the parties to get back to the table and reach an agreement,” but Mayor Larry O’Brien quashed that idea shortly after the minister made the order.
“I think now that the vote is on the table, there will be no bargaining,” he said.
The Citizen was unable immediately to reach representatives of ATU 279 for their reaction.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Good work Larry! I could not be more satisfied for having voted for you !
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I hope there is a discount of bus passes and since the city is saving a lot of money. Perhaps they can re-imburse the OC transpo customers that use to use their service every day.
Let this be a lesson in resolve, that this never happens again, and we learn to implement certain limitations on what can happen with regards to ruling in a strike. Some laws have to be put forward and not be left on the back burner, saying we will get to it , cause it might cost an city election vote for someone.
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Shame on you Larry. The ATU is the legally elected body that negotiates for its members, it is their right to call for a vote on a contract offer they feel is both fair and good for their members. For you to side step and go over their heads in this manor shows what little respect you have for the democratic rights of others. In another entry of your blog you commented on your disappointment in the way the councillors spent little time going over the budget looking for cuts and here you are asking for help just ten days after a strike call, claiming pressing public interest. When this Section 108.1 of the Labour Code came into being the year was 1993, since then we have had a few transit strikes here in Canada which lasted longer than ten days, two right here in Ottawa. I don’t recall the Mayor or council calling for help from the Fed’s back then. Did we have a better government, one that was willing to negotiate fairly rather than shuck their responsibilities after a mere ten days. It seems to me you have two sets of standards, one for you and one for everybody else. I don’t like bullies, I’m sorry I voted for you, a mistake I won’t make again.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
As a voting member I would like to know, if we should vote against the offer that is nothing more than a feeler as to see if we would accept the schedualeing if left in your hands, does this mean that the city will back down on this issue and allow us to get on with the important matter of putting this to rest and get back to work and end this power struggle or is the city going to run to someone else to see if they can force feed us on this issue.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Congrats!!
The city’s side of the story allows comments, arguments and posts from both sides. Please note that http://www.ottawatransitstrike.com aka the union site allows no such feedback. It actually has member postings featuring promises (Noah Greed) to other unions regarding future negotiations.
STAND STRONG MR Mayor!!!
You have my vote and my support unless the terms of this settlement become more favorable to the greed and we all know what I mean by the GREED.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Do not give into to these pirates. We must have a safe, well run transit system in this City. What system allows the workers to dictate to the managers their hours of work and schedules. My understanding of situation is that the ones who are affected are a very small percentage of the overall population of drivers. For this, we have held the entire City hostage??? I sincerely hope the vote will lay this entire matter to rest. This group is being offered more money, benefits and a signing bonus than anyone else now signing contracts.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Well Mr Obrien are you now satisfied. The board is looking at making OC Transpo an essential service. Your costs are going to go up substantially because of this and you know it. I guess your request blew up in your face big time. I can hardly wait for your next news update to see what you have to say about this if it happens. For a Mayor you do not think before you speak. The cost for an essential service is quite higher than negotiating with a Union for new contract. It goes to arbitration and that makes it binding. By the way you saved the city aobut 15 million in the last 5 weeks. But the cost of personal suffering and lost business revenue in this city is far more than 15 million. Thanks for not caring.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Nice to see the City support it’s citizens. While I am not really in support of the strike at all; I also can’t believe how you people go out of your way to make things difficult for your citizens.
How about waiving parking tickets or at least reducing them. That might actually show some support.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
WAKE UP DRIVERS -YOUR UNION ARE TRYING THE SAME TACTIC’S-”HAL BANKS ””’& JIMMY HOFFA “” DID YEARS AGO. MAYOR LARRY PRIVATIZE THE BUS SERVICE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LARRY.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I’ve been hearing lots of second hard reports of senior bus drivers and other OC Transpo employees manipulating their schedules with their friends so that unnecessary overtime hours can be collected, and so that they work less for more pay. If there is any truth to this, I support the city regarding scheduling. The rest of us have no control over our schedules, why should we pay via our taxes for OC Transpo employees to manipulate and abuse the system?
I wish there was a way to break the strike in this instance, but I also support workers with real problems who need the right to strike. From everything I’ve read, it doesn’t look like OC Transpo employees have much to complain about.
I am very annoyed that there has been no contract for so long, why wasn’t this dealt with before? This is a hardship on so many people who rely on the bus. It is hard enough getting your child off to daycare and picked up on time without having to scramble for a ride, or parking, or alternative child care! Some of my co-workers have had to stay home some days as they could not get in and were too far to walk! Some of them are walking for more than 2 hours!
This is crazy!
January 5th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
GO LARRY GO! I don’t feel sorry for the OC Transpo drivers whatsoever. I do feel sorry for the people that depend on the transit system to go to work etc. I don’t think the drivers realize that they should be thankful that they are working for the City and making a great living driving a bus…..they need a reality check!
January 6th, 2009 at 8:12 am
I think Roger needs to go back to school and get an education in the way taht the real world works! Stay strong Larry - you are doing an absolutely fine job and it is high time that we put an end to these idiotic Unions! Keep up the great work!