Press Release

November 10, 2011

PC MPPs Demand Back to Work Legislation to End York Region Transit Strike see details

 November 4, 2011

York Region MPPs Call For End to Transit Strike

York Region MPPs Frank Klees, Peter Shurman and Julia Munro issued the following statement today calling for an end to the transit strike that has shut down the YRT/Viva transit system since October 24th.

“We are now into the 12th day of a transit strike that is affecting more than 50,000 commuters throughout York Region. The effects on individuals, families and businesses are far reaching and, especially during these difficult economic times, we can not allow this transit strike to continue. Jobs are being lost, students are missing classes and families are in turmoil"

We are asking that the parties return to the bargaining table immediately to work out an agreement that will allow transit services to resume. We, as MPPs representing York Region constituencies, cannot stand by as days turn into weeks and negotiations remain at a stand still. Our request to all parties should be taken in the strongest of terms. Specifically, we are urging all parties to sit down, resolve the issues, and get back to work so that the York Region public is properly served and so that more serious steps can be avoided.

York Region residents can not sustain the personal and financial hardships that are resulting from this strike.

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Frank Klees, MPP
Newmarket-Aurora

Peter Shuman, MPP
Thornhill

Julia Munro, MPP
York-Simcoe  

For more information contact:
Frank Klees, MPP      
905-750-0019             

UPDATES:

November 9 Era Banner Article by David Fleischer

See Full article here

. . .The dispute has gone on long enough and region’s role should be to aggressively call on both parties to come back to the table, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees said. He met with newly minted Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey this week, urging her to take action.

It’s hypocritical for the province to promote transit as a regional system and then allow the TTC to be designated an essential service while York Region faces an indefinite strike, Mr. Klees said, pointing out a strike anywhere is equally impactful for riders.

Ms Jeffrey said the transit strike was one the first issues upon which she was briefed and it remains on the radar.
If needed, the province has several skilled mediators standing by to help broker agreements, she said.
The legislature is to reconvene Nov. 21 and if the strike is still going, Mr. Klees is advocating legislation to force the various parties to sit down with an arbitrator and hammer out a deal.

For now, Ms Jeffrey said she’s cautiously optimistic an agreement can be reached before it comes to that.
“We believe the best agreements are those reached between the two parties at the bargaining table,” she said.

While there has been no progress with Amalgamated Transit Union 1587 and its two operators, Miller Transit and First Transit, the union was expected to meet yesterday with Viva operators Veolia for the first time since the strike began.

November 7, discussed the issue with the Minister of Labour, the Hon Linda Jeffrey

Impressed on the Minister of Transportation, the Hon Bob Chiarelli, the serious implications of this disruption in York Region's transit services.