News Index

March 12th, 2009

Here We Go Again

Here is an interesting and well balanced read related to newest incident coming from OC Transpo trenches:

"The current argument is that John Baird intends to intervene and change the rules, so the drivers should begin acting as though he already has. You can see why the drivers wouldn't want to take the transport minister's intervention in the city's favour as a foregone conclusion, though, particularly since the two other affected transit systems, in Gatineau and Windsor, presumably get to weigh in as well. This'll play hell with their scheduling, not to mention making them radically different from other Ontario systems, and despite Baird's apparent interest in getting the change made relatively quickly, it's certainly not a fait accompli."

Nothing unexpected from David Reevely: research of facts well done, good questions asked, points well addressed...
Almost unbelievable that this guy and Lowell Green share the same (professional) roots although we really wouldn't go that far as comparing the two...

We do not want to offend Mr. Reevely even remotely...

Click here to read the full article.

February 20th, 2009

Message From Yogi Sharma
Booking Of Work For The 10th Day

Yogi Sharma - Answering Your Questions
Booking Of Work For The 10th Day

February 17th, 2009

New Name For Our Future Web Site

Dear Members and our passengers,

this web site served as excellent vehicle for getting our word out and also to keep you informed about daily changes during the strike...

We started to realize numerous initiatives like documenting our Member's everyday actions to help and protect lives and properties of our passengers, research documents supporting our claims about how hazardous our working environment can be, pictures telling thousand words about state of our fleet as related to actual safety of passengers and drivers alike.
This is but fraction of what we plan ahead for you...
We plan to have new sections helping our Members and passengers alike to cope with everyday situations, forums so you can “vent” a bit from everyday frustration as well as documentation from all over the place will be collected and classified on one single place.

But first, we need to find new home for all this information so it'll never be forgotten but also to start adding and building new, brighter home for information which is yet to come.

We are asking you for your input to find suitable name for our new web site which will inherit all information contained here but start building out to reach new potential; potential to become everyday tool related to work environment but also to serve as better connection between our Members and passengers.
It is only with participation of both sides that we can achieve better communication and connection between us and our passengers.
So we ask you to participate: send us your suggestions for new name of our future web site with short note why you think the name you are suggesting is good one.

Also, if you have any ideas what you would like to see on this web site, please send it, too.
We will compile all entries and share with you what we've received so we can use your suggestions to help us make better decision. After all, we are hoping for this web site to become your everyday stop during your online cruising when you need relevant information related to Transit issues and solutions in Ottawa.

Send us your suggestions on following e-mail address: WebSiteSuggest@gmail.com

February 9th, 2009

Important Information For Our Members

How to Apply for Employment Insurance Benefits

Details About Health Benefits After The Strike

Letter to Mayor of Ottawa Larry O'Brien
From Local 279 President Andre Cornellier

RE: February 1st Media Advisory

Dear Mayor O’Brien:

I am writing to express my frustration with the fact that even after 51 days of a transit strike the City seems to have learned very little from the experience.

Yesterday while myself and my executives were working to find strategies that will get the fleet back on the road much sooner than OC Transpo management had thought possible, you and Mr. Mercier were taking part in a publicity stunt at the O Train’s Greenboro station.

What was frustrating to me was the fact that notice of this stunt was posted on the City’s website under the heading of “City and ATU Welcome Riders Back to Transit”. This media advisory left the clear impression that ATU was in some way participating in this publicity stunt when of course we were not.

After having been forced on strike to protect our jobs and our quality of life, my members and I are not interested in the City’s public relations strategy intended to convince the public that all is well at OC Transpo because it certainly is not.

I would expect that ATU’s name will not be connected with any further publicity stunts the City may choose to put on as a distraction from the real problems at OC Transpo.

Sincerely,

Andrè Cornellier
President/Business Agent

Know Your Rights - Dealing With Threats And Physical Assault

In order that Union may assist you, it is important that you understand how to exercise your rights in the face of such aggression.

Click here to read full article.

Lessons We Learned...

Brothers and Sisters,

Strike is over but our work has just begun.

We have fleet to rebuild, ridership to recapture and respect and trust to regain.

Solidarity and unity showed during the strike continued afterward with the same intensity: our Members united in pledge for all Members to return to work and share hours of work.

During this labour dispute City and OC Transpo Management broke all rules of good relations with it's own front line employees - our Members and Local 279 Union.

However, at this moment it is secondary issue; first and foremost one is getting our buses back on the road and restoring full service to all residents of Ottawa who suffered together with us in this long strike.

In order to accomplish this goal we cannot wait for Management to hold the meetings, discussing with City Council which way to choose; it is us, front line employees, drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, supervisors who can really help the most to reach this target.

Many of you has array of skills which might come handy during this period of transition; buses needs a lot of work, inside and out.

Your Union is calling up on you, our members to take a bit unorthodox but from our perspective right move; let's work all together and put our heads to task how we can speed up the task without differentiating between mechanics, drivers, dispatchers, garage attendants, supervisors...

Call your Union and let us know how you can help; our Brothers and Sisters mechanics, garage attendants and other staff might use your help to get things done faster, better, bigger...

We have learned valuable lesson from this labour dispute and the way it was handled by the City and OC Transpo Management: United, we are still standing.

Standing tall, proud of the fact that we were, are and will be the ones transporting our passengers safely, every single day, on deep cold snow, pouring rain or scorching sun.

We are the ones being challenged every day in order to deliver our service in timely and safe fashion.

We are the ones which were being alienated from our passengers during this labour dispute through many skewed perspectives, deceptions and downright lies relayed through the Media for the duration of strike, day in and day out.

They have used our money to fix the wrongdoings they introduced at the first place with their Union busting, hard line stance.

It is time to take our unity, solidarity and skills to the next level and show people of Ottawa they have being taken for the ride by City, Councilors and OC Management.

It is time to walk out of the dark shade we are customary thrown in, while others are taking accolades derived from our dedication and service and start showing our real face; that of proud, professional and organized individuals who know how to deliver the goods...

And deliver we will...

No Layoffs For Operators - Unity And Solidarity Wins

Brothers and Sisters,

in magnificent display of our unity, Membership agreed that we all should go back to work and share the hours of work available now in order to avoid looming layoffs of mostly junior Operators.
In order to accomplish this, we have to book for the remainder of the December booking (lasting until April 2009).

Operators are to report to the second floor of St. Laurent North in accordance with booking time table below.

There will be an orientation session before the booking starts for each group of Operators and then after the session, Operators will be transported with shuttle bus to 720 Belfast to book.

Booking Dates (revised)

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

07:00am operator 403 – 1527
10:00am operator 1529 – 1914
12:30hrs operator 1915 – 2188
15:00hrs operator 2189 – 2433
17:30hrs operator 2438 – 2591

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

06:00am operator 2592 – 2726
07:30am operator 2727 – 2801
10:30am operator 2802 – 2934
12:30hrs operator 2935 – 5513
15:30hrs operator 5514 – 5612

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

06:00am operator 5613 – 5721
07:30am operator 5723 – 5795
10:30am operator 5796 – 5914
12:30hrs operator 5915 – 5978
15:30hrs operator 5980 – 6072

Friday, February 6th, 2009

05:30am operator 6073 – 6142
06:30am operator 6143 – 6213

Congratulations to all of you for the hard work and welcome back.

Vote Results: 95% Voted "Yes"

After recommendation to accept the tentative agreement, coming unanimously from Local 279 President Andre Cornellier and Union Executive Board, 95% of Members voted in favor of the agreement signed on Thursday, January 29, 2009 between City of Ottawa and ATU Local 279.

VOTE UPDATE

We will have special Union meeting at Lansdowne Park
on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 9:00 am.

Ratification vote for the tentative agreement will take place after the meeting.

Voting stations will be closed at 5 pm the same day.

We arranged free parking for our Members so please show your OC Transpo or City of Ottawa IDs to the parking attendant or you will be charged for the parking.

Local 279 Reached A Tentative Agreement With The City
To End The Strike

ATU Local 279 and City of Ottawa reached a tentative agreement to end Ottawa's transit strike agreeing to binding arbitration on all outstanding issues without any pre-conditions.

This tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by Local 279 Membership vote.
We are looking for space on such short notice which could serve the purpose and we will try to hold a vote as soon as tomorrow or on Saturday.

We would like to thank all our Members for outstanding support on this very long labour dispute which just shows that solidarity and unity goes a long way.

United we stand but divided we fall.

And standing we are...

Andre Cornellier and your Executive Board

Some Reactions To Decision Of Minister Of Labour
Rona Ambrose To Introduce Back-To-Work Legislation

Letter from President of Canadian Labour Congress
Kenneth V. Georgetti to Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose

Statement from President of Ontario Federation of Labour
Wayne Samuelson to Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose

CIRB Decides - OC Transpo Is Not An Essential Service

After the hearing this morning , CIRB has made decision that OC Transpo is not an essential service.

Click here to read full Press Release

ATU Executives To Meet With Minister Of Transport, Infrastructure And Communities John Baird

ATU Local 279 President Andre Cornellier and International ATU Vice-President Randy Graham and are going to meet with Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities John Baird on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 at 1:00 pm in an effort to offer detailed explanation about issues which are keeping the buses parked.

Special attention will be given to Federal work-rest rules and hours of work regulations and how it's application might influence many parameters of work at OC Transpo for all Members of Local 279.

This will be an effort to try to clear misconceptions and skewed perspectives City is feeding to the public through the Media in an attempt to draw focus from the real problem:

Lack of bargaining in the good faith from City's side.

Stay tuned for more details...

Better Late(r) Then Never

At this point in time we've realized that the only way to get non-biased picture and hard facts into public domain would be to start putting our message out using the same medium as the City: Media.

So here are newspaper ads going out in today's Sun, Citizen and LeDroit.

We hope that public will start using our web site as source where they can get information based on the facts and not on biased perspectives, and that they will help us get our buses back on the road after they realize what was really going on last 47 days of this labour dispute.

Transit Talks Stalled: City’s Offer Has Not Changed

Press Conference Today, 5:00 pm

Ottawa, ON – Mediated talks between OC Transpo workers and the City of Ottawa have stalled because the City has failed to significantly alter its positions, leaders from the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) will say at a press conference this afternoon.

The union has proposals to get the buses back on the streets. The City has to stop stalling and get rolling.

WHAT: ATU media conference with reaction to stalled talks
WHEN: Today, Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 4:30 p.m.
WHO: Randy Graham, international vice-president, ATU
Andre Cornellier, president, ATU Local 279
WHERE: 2212 Gladwin Crescent, Ottawa (near Museum of Science & Tech)

Stay tuned as we will offer full, unedited video from the conference here.

Click here to read full Press Release

Ottawa West-Nepean NDP Supports Striking Bus Drivers And Mechanics

Ben Franklin Place, Nepean - At their Annual General Meeting (AGM) January 22/09, members of the Ottawa West - Nepean (OWN) New Democratic Party (NDP) voted unanimously to support OCTranspo bus drivers and mechanics in their struggle to achieve a fair settlement through collective bargaining.

''This motion supports the members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 279. They are on the frontline of a battle to protect the gains that Labour has earned for us all'' said OWN NDP President, Marlene Rivier

Click here to read full Press Release

Hats Down For Investigative Reporting, David Reevely

Journalists have a special way with the words, us, ordinary people don't. They can make rainy day bearable or describe intricacies of complex events on the way understandable to common fellow.
But real power of words becomes realized when they embark on the quest, pick up pieces of time and space continuum we are oblivious about and come back from the journey with the treasure...
Treasure called The Truth. Not just any truth but the one which has been sorely missing for the last 46 days; the truth not colored by ratings and advertiser's money...

You want an explanation why we are still standing on cold after 46 days?

Read, you won't be sorry for the time spent.

UPDATE: In the meantime, David clarified work he did as well as sources used in the article. We just wanted to extend our gratitude to Citizen's reporters Jake Rupert and Patrick Dare for their efforts to help us (probably unintentionally :-) bringing the facts to public scrutiny.
No more, no less.

Click here to read full article

Do You Remember Us?

Started in early '80s, program called Transecure was established in order to document all cases of concern for safety and well being of citizens of Ottawa as well as their material properties.

Every time when there was serious safety issue, assault, suspicions activity or well being of children and adults reported endangered, it had to be documented and followed through to the end linking reports from other parties usually involved like Transit Law, Ottawa Police Service or RCMP.

Every single day, our Members and their co-workers in City Transit were going above and beyond their line of duty to help, accommodate, comfort and on many occasions outright save lives of people around us, people we love and care about.

Let's remind ourselves a bit how our Members and their co-workers in City Transit were serving the public in real life by reading official reports from these Transecure documents of Ottawa City Transit.

Here are a few "ordinary" calls placed in June, 2007:

Call #214 - Operator Mark Petch provided shelter for two youths who had been swarmed at LeBreton station. The youths were transported to CHEO Hospital by EMS.

Call #219 - Operator Greg Mault reported that a passenger who got off at Place d'Orleans Station might be armed. A Transit Special Constable issued a station ban and peace ban. OPS arrested the man.

Call #220 - Operator John Vydra reported a male passenger fondling a female passenger on the bus. Transit Special Constables and Ottawa Police took the man into custody.

Call #228 - Operator Morris Lewis reported a group of four individuals standing by a vehicle at Billings Bridge mall parking lot, pointing what looked to be a pistol at the ground.
Transit Special Constables directed Ottawa Police to the location and upon investigation, OPS recovered two replica 9 mm handguns from the individuals.

You think that's it, right?

Don't worry, we've just started. For 2008 alone, Transecure had recorded 374 calls and cases of serious concern for safety and well being of the person, reported and addresed by our Operators and their co-workers in City Transit.

Yes, we know, it is a long list even just for one year and it will be tedious work to type it all down.

But since Mayor and some Councilors suggested that this will be long, long strike, we thought that improving our typing skills on computer might come handy.

For saving our work when we finish typing, we still have to call for help, though.

That is probably because we were much more proactive about saving lives and property of citizens of Ottawa then saving files on computer.

More to come... Much, much more...

Click here to read more stories

Message To Our Members
From President Andre Cornellier - January 23rd, 2009

Important Message To Our Members - January 23rd, 2009

A demonstration to draw attention to the transit strike is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday January 26, 2009 on Parliament Hill. Community advocate Catherine Gardner says she wants MPs and city council to see the faces of those suffering because of the bus strike.
We are asking our Members to refrain from taking part in this demonstration which is planned with intention of public making sure their voices are being heard by MPs and City Council.
We are already very effectively making sure our voices are being heard on the picket lines.

CTV Ottawa Poll - Should The Mayor And City Council Be Fired For Mishandling The OC Transpo Strike??

Snapshot taken January 21st, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Click here to see final results web page at CTV Ottawa web site

Ottawa Sun Poll - Should Ottawa Taxpayers Foot The Bill For City Councilors To Attend A Conference In Whistler?

Click here to see final results web page at Ottawa Sun archive web site (January 21st, 2009)

CBC Canada Poll - Which Side Do You Support In The Ottawa Transit Strike?

Click here to see final results web page at CBC Canada web site (January 21st, 2009)

A-Channel News Poll - Is City Doing Enough To End The Strike?

Click here to see snapshot of the web page taken January 20th, 2009 at 5 PM

Doucet Is Right To Prod Council To End This Disaster

Rather than having a goal of reaching a mutually agreeable contract, the city's bargaining team seems to have had a goal of taking control of scheduling -- at any price. That has meant extreme hardship for the citizens of Ottawa, financial losses for Ottawa businesses and a poisoned labour relations environment at OC Transpo for years to come.

Click here to read full article on OttawaCitizen.com

Late with Plan B

A strike is not something that occurs out of the blue. It is the result of failed negotiations over an extended period of time.

Click here to read full article on OttawaCitizen.com

Compromise needed

I fail to understand why the city won't just take the scheduling issue off of the bargaining table and help get the buses on the road.

It's time to tell Mayor Larry O'Brien to swallow his pride and settle this strike. Unlike his previous job as a corporate CEO, being an elected official requires compromise. And labour negotiations are not about sticking to one immovable position and bullying workers into submission. The only power that bus drivers have is to withhold their labour on the job.

Click here to read full article on OttawaCitizen.com

Doucet's right to want to end costly strike

Mr. Doucet speaks for the thousands who depend on public transport every day and whose lives are severely disrupted by the strike, for the businesses whose customers cannot come into their stores in the peak pre-Christmas shopping week, for students who can barely make it to their end-of-term exams, for the drivers who are stuck in hour-long gridlock everywhere, and even for the many OC Transpo workers who would surely rather be doing their jobs than manning a picket line and hearing public abuse.

Click here to read full article on OttawaCitizen.com

CUPE Solidarity Day
with
ATU Local 279

Please join CUPE National President, Paul Moist
and National Secretary-Treasurer, Claude Généreux
as they bring solidarity greetings to the
ATU brothers and sisters on strike at OC Transpo

When: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:30 am

Where: Belfast Road & St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR MEMBERS

To continue your benefits coverage during the strike request form needs to be filled out and delivered to the City before due date which is: Wednesday, January 21st, 2009.

We urge our Members to take this into consideration.

Click here to read details

Stop the attacks on ATU Local 279 and start working on a fair settlement: OPSEU

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Contrary to widespread misinformation coming from various sources, full time Union Executive Board Members are NOT paid during the strike.
They get reimbursed the same strike pay as Members and have the same minimal hours obligations which they customary break working in excess of 14+ hours daily on various functions in this extreme situation.

ATU Local 279 President André Cornellier

City Proposal Big Change To Schedule

Robin West, director of Amalgamated Transit Union Canada, which represents 30,000 transit workers across the country, said that in all other major transit systems, drivers choose their preferred schedules.

Click here to read full story

NDPs Paul Dewar Calls On City And Union To Return To Negotiations

“The transit strike in Ottawa has been very difficult for the people of Ottawa Centre”
 said Dewar. “We want the buses back on the streets and the only way to resolve this dispute is to return to the negotiations”.

Click here to read full Press Release

Is The Fortress Of Deception Finally Cracking?

CEP / SCEP Union - Letter To Larry O'Brien
And City Councillors

 

Here is nice example of investigative journalism and professionalism from multiple-award-winning über-intellectual and highly acclaimed Ottawa Sun columnist Earl McRae.
Why is it here?
We want to demonstrate to the Ottawa citizens that we are promoting open dialogue.

Even with the Cohones-less chickens.

Urban Bus Driver - Occupational Health Research Paper
or
Did You Really Think It's All Milk And Honey

Here is an interesting read: 50 years of research about occupational health of urban bus drivers since 1950s.
However, it is not for faint of heart nor the ones which had recent idea of applying for the job in OC Transpo.

They just might have change of heart while reading it.

Click here to read full story

After 30 Days of Media Siege Orchestrated by Mayor and The City, Citizens of Ottawa Started Asking Right Questions

Citizens of Ottawa started showing that they cannot have wool pulled over their eyes for much longer by insurmountable but subtly knit "media war" orchestrated by Mayor and the City.

Now, they have started asking the right questions.

Click here to read more...

Letter to The Honourable Jack Layton - House Of Commons
from President André Cornellier - January 10th, 2009

Letter to Councillor Diane Holmes from
President André Cornellier - January 7th, 2009

Ontario Federation of Labour Firmly Behind
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279

Today Ontario Federation of Labour President Wayne Samuelson rejected the Federal Government's unprecidented order as an attack on working people, their right to collective bargaining, and the right of their union to represent them. The OFL speaks for 700,000 organized Ontario workers.

Click here to read full Press Release on the OFL's website

ATU Agreed On Bus Service For High School
And College Students

Public and Catholic school boards reached an agreement with the ATU to run a limited number of school buses, which will serve 18 schools that normally rely on OC Transpo's 600 series of routes.

Click here to read full Press Release on CTV website

Letter To The Honourable Jack Layton - House Of Commons
From President André Cornellier - January 5th, 2009

The Union Asks Reasonable Access To Its Own Members During The Vote

Some Reactions To Decision Of Minister Of Labour
Rona Ambrose To Force ATU Local 279 On Second Vote

E-mail from President of Canadian Labour Congress
Kenneth V. Georgetti to Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose

Letter from Canadian Director of Amalgamated Transit Union Robin West to Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose

Union Last Proposal to the City of Ottawa

Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 279 responded to request of the Minister of Labour, Honourable Rona Ambrose for submission of their views on the request from the City to order a supervised vote of union members on its last contract.

Click to read original Letter

New Updates

March 12th, 2009

February 20th, 2009

February 9th, 2009

February 6th, 2009

February 3rd, 2009

February 2nd, 2009

January 31th, 2009

January 30th, 2009

January 29th, 2009

January 28th, 2009

January 27th, 2009

January 26th, 2009

January 25th, 2009

January 24th, 2009

January 23rd, 2009

January 22nd, 2009

January 21st, 2009

January 20th, 2009

January 19th, 2009

January 18th, 2009

January 17th, 2009

January 16th, 2009

January 15th, 2009

January 14th, 2009

January 13th, 2009

January 12th, 2009

January 11th, 2009

January 10th, 2009

January 9th, 2009

January 7th, 2009

January 6th, 2009

January 5th, 2009

January 4th, 2009

January 3rd, 2009

January 2nd, 2009

January 1st, 2009

December 31st, 2008

December 30th, 2008

December 29th, 2008

December 28th, 2008

December 27th, 2008

December 24th, 2008

December 23rd, 2008

December 22nd, 2008

Next: The Scheduling Issue