York Region councillors refuse involvement in ongoing YRT/Viva strike
Gaggan Sahota
Contributor
A week ago, Aryan Khan started his day by catching the York Region Transit (YRT) bus to work. At the end of his workday, he hustled to get to his evening classes at York, again taking YRT.
Now all he can do is hope that a car may be available to him so he won’t have to spend $90 daily on cab fare due to the YRT strike.
“It’s $45 to get to work and another $45 to get home,” he says. “On an average day if I make $100, I am spending $90 on cab fare. One full day to pay for one day of transportation—it’s not reasonable,” he says.
Khan is just one of many York students and York Region residents who have been hit hard by the YRT/Viva transit strike that began October 24.
Despite suggestions from the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113, Bob Kinnear, that councillors become involved by “encouraging private corporations to pay their employees accordingly,” councillors have turned down the requests.
“The union asked the government of York Region to get involved but they have refused,” says Bill Reno, spokesperson for Kinnear.
Richard Leary, general manager for YRT, reiterated that at this point, no one knows when the strike will end.
“York Region transit services are outsourced to private contractors and employers, so it’s up to them to decide,” he says. “Not the regional government.”
Kinnear confirmed that “no talks have been scheduled for the near or distant future and the union unanimously rejected the previous offer.”
“The offer included a two-year deal involving a three per cent wage increase in the first year and a two per cent increase in the second year with one additional sick day,” states Kinnear. “At first this offer seems reasonable; however, this is for transit workers who only get 50 per cent of their benefits, earn 30 per cent less in wages and have no pensions.”
Kinnear says the union is dealing with multinational companies with a “take it or leave it” attitude.
“Unless they are willing to relinquish some of their profit, we’re in for a long strike.”
