In response to the surprise last-minute strike by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty, Mr. John Tory and Mr. Howard Hampton to bring back the Legislature immediately, pass Back-to-Work legislation and impose a one year contract limited to an inflationary increase.
CTF Ontario Director, Kevin Gaudet, said "Toronto commuters and taxpayers are being thrown under the bus by this union decision. It is time the politicians stood up for the taxpayers by forcing the TTC back to work with an imposed settlement".
Late yesterday, two-thirds of Amalgamated Transit Union 113 workers voted for a strike. Despite having promised a 48 hour notice of a strike, the strike took effect immediately leaving Toronto commuters in the lurch. The offer that was rejected was already overly-generous, provided the union all they had sought and was well beyond the rate of inflation. It included a 3% increase each year for three years and a clause guaranteeing that workers would be the highest paid transit workers in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as payment for sick time beyond that required and paid by the Workplace Safety Inspection Board. TTC workers already enjoy salary, benefits and pensions almost twice that of similar workers in New York City.
Gaudet concluded, "Toronto taxpayers have had enough of this labour uncertainty. It is time that Premier McGuinty and Mayor Miller make a clear statement that service and cost containment is their primary concern".
