Strike threat as TTC workers set to vote on contract
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 | 6:49 PM ET
CBC News
The Toronto Transit Commission and its union could be headed for a showdown as a strike deadline approaches.
The union will hold a vote Wednesday on the commission's first contract offer, and will be in a legal strike position on April 1.
At a news conference on Monday, Bob Kinnear, president of the 8,000-member Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 made it clear he's ready for a fight.
The union released a report that claims every TTC worker is worth $1 million in economic benefits to the city — part of an attempt to win better pay and improved benefits.
Kinnear said TTC management has so far offered wage increases of two per cent a year for four years, an offer he expects his members will reject.
"The proposal they've brought forward is completely their document. It's not something we agree with. It's not something we support in any way, shape or form," he said.
Kinnear said he would interpret a strong rejection of the offer as a strike mandate.
TTC management won't comment on the details of the negotiations, but TTC chair Adam Giambrone said workers will be treated fairly.
"The people at the table, on both sides, know the value of public transit. They also know the financial costs. That's what the negotiations are about: presenting a fair deal for both sides."
Relations between the TTC and its union have been tense ever since workers staged an illegal strike two years ago.
