What is the ATU willing to compromise on?
Council has repeatedly shown that we are more than willing to work with the ATU to end this transit strike.
All along we have been listening carefully to the ATU. We have responded to the concerns they expressed and we have done so with a clear consensus of Council. We have taken many steps to show we are willing to compromise to find a solution that is reasonable and fair for both the taxpayers and the drivers.
We have increased our economic offer from 7.25% to 9.25% over three years. We have moved our position on scheduling to focus on safety only and we have as a result removed the $2,500 productivity bonus. We have discussed and agreed on new terms relating to outsourcing of services. We have been involved in a one-way negotiation and the ATU has failed to put a single idea on the table to try to solve this strike.
Since December we have significantly altered our position three times, but all we get in return from the ATU is “No”. If the ATU truly wants to work with us, they most also show they are willing to compromise and revise their mandate.
Today Council did a lot of work in-camera. We reviewed many options and remain committed to getting safe and reliable transit back for the residents of Ottawa as soon as possible. The single motion we passed in open session is a challenge to ATU to get back to the table and start negotiating in good faith.
It’s about time we had some discussions that do not start with the word NO!
January 28th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Put the Scheduling issue aside, have it dealt with properly with consultation with the stakeholders (bus operators, ATU 279, and management).
Have the rest go to binding arbitration, with NO PRE-CONDITIONS!
January 28th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Now all concerned WILL have a FAIR settlement. Back to work order>binding arbitration. This should have been done weeks ago!
January 28th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I don’t necessarily agree with all of mayor O’brien’s policies and visions for the city of Ottawa but this one I’m 100% behind him. There are many people suffering from this transit such as students, public workers… anybody who needs to use the transit system for either convenience or obligation is suffering from this. Many public services are suffering due to the increase traffic such as police, paramedics and fire department … OK ATU here some language you might understand; I will plan my heart attack to happen at 10 am so medics can some faster, reduce my dialysis to once a week(really not recommended euh my kidneys don’t work like yours) and arrange alternate test date (my professors are getting very irritated and are considering making me redo the semester) at school and making work arrangement with my employer ( perhaps working at startbucks from 10pm to 0300 euh it’s closed you …@#$)… oh and on top of things i will tell the burglar robbing my house to do it outside of rush hour so the police can actually make it. All this because “you won’t have a life on week ends”… that’s a quote that was recorded in several news papers… my god i wish… not sure what your reasoning is here.
Here are some more intelligent words for you ATU, the city has interest in the safety and well being of passengers and other residents of the city of Ottawa. Here is what this means in lamens terms… working 22hrs in a row is not really safe.
The monetary compensation is a lottery winner… 9.25% and you somehow manage to get the 2500$ erased from the offer … wow i want the name of the contract negotiator you are using because i think my 10 year old daughter would do better. Here is what this mean in lamens terms … take it, accept it
This is purely from a citizens perspective but i think the ATU should take the following actions: 1) fire M. Cornelier (the local news interviews are atrocious) 2) do the same as the city, hire a skilled and competent negociators, usally those folks hold MBA, or LLP designations 3) there members should be more frequently refered to this site for a better version of the truth with regards to contract summaries 4) ATU should have all of it’s members interest at heart not just the senior ones that want to be off on week-end.
I keep hearing, from the ATU, “the city is always changing around numbers in their offer and nothing in there is taking into consideration the scheduling issue”. I strongly feel that the competency of the transit workers union is very questionable, have somebody with true contract knowledge go through the offer and make a smart recommendation. Then bring true concerns to the table and negotiate at the city’s level. Surprisingly enough this strategy works, BTW the true definition of the word “negotiation” is discussing issues at hand and arriving to a agreement. the word “NO” without a intelligent solution really will not get you far. The solution must satisfy both parties equally (somewhat)
I think the city’s actions have the best interest of its citizen but unfortunately they are going o have to give up certain aspect of their plan to fast track the return of transit worker to work.
I have been affected in many wats by this strike but Mayor O’Brien i urge you to keep your word and make the safety of all of us your primary concern.
Keep up the good … 100% behind you
marc
January 28th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Since they are not getting the $2500 bonus now, can I have it?
That amount would help get me back on my feet, remove a lot of stress I am undergoing and quite possibly repair the damage that all this has brought to my family.
January 29th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Two questions:
a) If the city’s latest contract offers are ” reasonable and fair”, why has an independant mediator apparently come to the conclusion that it does not provide a basis for meaningful negotiation?
b) Why is the city unwilling to accept binding arbitration, without preconditions ( such as its earlier proposal which effectively would mean a settlement would have to be based on its latest contract offer)?
January 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Mr. Mayor,
You can not even keep up your end of a deal, here in your blog you are talking about specifics of the Cities offer to the union. What happened to the media black out? I guess the only way you know how to negotiate in through public opion. I teach my 4 year old that a promise is a promise and he understands and keeps his promises, maybe you could learn a thing or two from him!
January 29th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I am appalled with the 9.25% increase over 3 years, many people are dreading of losing their job, severance package or pension, with Giant Carpet declared bankrupt this week, another 100 people in Ottawa will be out of a job. We all have to make tough choice in tough time, some people opted to take a pay cut to help the employer and to keep their job during this tough time.
I elected you (and the councilor in my ward) to make the right decision for the city, if the city believes this is a fair price to pay for reliable, safe and efficient bus service, I will make peace with it.
Please do not let our scarifies in the past 50 day get wasted. The issue on scheduling must be resolved now.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The fact that the union refuses to negotiate should be grounds for decertification. If a union claims a legal right to negotiate on behalf of it’s members, then it must also must accept a responsibility to negotiate. No matter what initial position is assumed, there is always room to negotiate, as the City has demonstrated.
January 29th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Mayor Larry,
Here’s a suggestion; whether the strike continues or not, the city should be making a major effort to encourage telecommuting.
If half of the workforce can telecommute half of the time, that’s 25% of the traffic GONE, and gone forever. That’s savings in fuel, carbon emissions, and TIME.
The environment wins, the employee wins, and the employer wins. (assuming they make sure the work still gets done)
The Feds would have to get behind it, of course, but a little encouragement from the top (Treasury Board) could go a long way.
There’s no reason the universities can’t be webcasting every lecture; certainly the big ones. Half of student travel wouldn’t have to happen.
Perhaps the city could offer a small broadband subsidy. Fund it with a $1/day levy on downtown parking spaces.
January 29th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Does the binding arbitration mean the 9.25% is on the table. Does it mean the scheduling and overtime issues may result in a favorable outcome for the union? I have sacrificed an enormous amount so that we could have a more cost friendly system. Please tell me it wasn’t in vain.
January 29th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I’ve lost a lot of respect for the city and its councillors (especially after the way they have treated Doucet - the one man who tried to get all of this done a VERY long time ago), but I am grateful that the strike is over.
I do, however, expect at least 51 days of free transit riding. It is the least you can do.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I would also like to draw your attention to the delay tactics of the City in resolving the strike also. The Honorable Rona Ambrose took the unprecedented step of forcing us to vote. However, instead of sitting at the negotiating table and trying to come to a compromise, the City said that there would be no negotiations until after the ATU votes on the contract. As well, when the vote results were not what the City expected, they waited for six days before holding a Council meeting. These two delays add up to 17 days of wasted negotiation time.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:54 am
fiesty88 Says:
The issue from all ccounts is the atu was not willing to compromise.The union dragged this on another week as theis was the exzact same offer the city gave 12 days ago.
Jason
No i don’t not think the union will even get close to what they want.I think them rejecting this offer is really going come back to bite them.
The worst thing the union did was on the news last night.Demanding the public respect there drivers.The amount of people that lost there job missed appointments and the list goes on.Yet the drivers want respect wow.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
So now the strike is over - and things will be settled through binding arbitration.
I sure hope that the arbitrator keeps the image of ATU a.k.a. “A”ndre “T”he “U”seless in mind as he rode off in his stretch limo - and his apology - hahaha - he apologizes to the Citizens that the City caused all of these problems. Andy Cornelier is the MAIN reason for all of the problems - and he needs to be replaced. I think his best 10 years were the ones that he spent in Grade 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!! And to think ….. the members of this Union followed him - like “lambs to the slaughter” - it just goes to show you the lack of intelligence with these employees - incredible!
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Just happy that the strike is over.
Thank you