Region seeks injunction: York aims to limit delays caused by striking transit workers
As promised, striking York Region Transit workers stepped up their action this morning, slowing service and hitting some new targets.
The region hit back, seeking a court injunction to limit the unions’ effect on the 40 per cent of YRT routes that continue to operate.
According to a York Region press release, the injunction was filed to the Superior Court in response to several alleged union actions, which include:
• Complete blockades of transit vehicles;
• Unlawful and unsafe blockages of roads;
• Harassment and intimidation of drivers and passengers;
• Passengers being forcibly held on buses;
• Unsafe picketing, including several picketers struck by vehicles; and
• Regional employees and the public being denied access to regional buildings for up to 90 minutes.
The region hopes the injunction will ease the burden on commuters, while allowing the unions their continued legal right to strike. It is expected to be heard Thursday morning in a Newmarket courtroom.
While there was at least some service on all of the operating YRT routes this morning, only about 70 per cent of buses made it out during the morning rush. Some buses were delayed 15 to 30 minutes, but the most severe effects were felt on routes delayed by as much as an hour.
Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1587 and Local 113 set up pickets outside the Keele-Langstaff garage from which Veolia operates the YRT routes not currently shut down by the strike.
They also hit the Newmarket GO station and slowed GO and TTC buses, in addition to YRT vehicles.
For the first time, the workers also directly picketed one of the three contractors.
Miller Transit’s buses operate out of a facility on Woodbine Avenue, in Markham, shared with its garbage trucks. The unions were there today and said they will be there tomorrow as well, when many of the garbage trucks are set to head out across the region on their collection routes.
ATU 1587 president Ray Doyle promised the unions would escalate their activities after appearing before regional council Thursday.
He marched with workers up Yonge Street and then told regional chairperson Bill Fisch they would return to work immediately if the region asked the employers to go to binding arbitration.
Mr. Fisch said he was heartened by a round of brief meetings between the two unions and three contractors and urged all the parties to bargain in earnest until a deal was done.
During the first weeks of the strike, picketing was relatively rare and buses were only delayed about five minutes each. Since then, the number of pickets and the length of delays have increased substantially.
During the two-week Viva strike in 2008, York Region also sought an injunction to ensure the delays did not unduly affect commuters. At the time, the union was picketing at Finch Station, causing delays as long as 70 minutes. Ultimately, the region and union negotiated a deal that ensured buses could enter and exit Finch Station and delays would be minimized.
More than 500 Viva and YRT drivers and maintenance staff have been on strike since Oct. 24.