In the mainstream media and the blogosphere, more than a few writers have this demented notion that Mayor David Miller or TTC chairman Adam Giambrone should be at the negotiating table now that the largest TTC workers’ union, ATU Local 113, has set a strike deadline.
These are either people who don’t know a lick about collective bargaining or they have a political agenda that supersedes the public interest.
For one, the Mayor doesn’t have the authority to negotiate so he could be in China and it wouldn’t make a difference. As far as Chairman Giambrone is concerned, he should be receiving updates a few times a day and ensure the management negotiators continue to implement the negotiating strategy the TTC commission endorsed. Secondly, as Toronto Life writer Philip Preville points out on his blog, going over TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster’s head right now would be a surefire way of receiving his resignation Monday morning. So I assure you, neither the Mayor not Councillor Giambrone will be saddling up to the bargaining table this weekend.
Here’s an appropriate intervention from the politicians: late Sunday the TTC will table its final offer to the union. It will have some major concessions in it and it will be a good faith attempt to avert the strike. Union president Bob Kinnear won’t get everything on ATU 113’s wish list but it’ll be enough to make him think long and hard about whether to lead his members on the first legal strike of his presidency. This is when the politicians enter the picture and go for the classic “walk down the hallway†with Kinnear. Giambrone and Kinnear will have the heart to heart with Adam telling Bob, “look, this is the best we can do, I have nothing more so let’s get this thing done right now.†Mayor Miller may call a couple minutes later and offer similar words if Giambrone is unsuccessful. Neither politician will re-open negotiations but it will allow Kinnear to say that he got the word of the people who hold the purse strings that this is the best deal out there.
I’ll unhappily eat my words if I’m wrong but I expect the TTC will be running as usual on Monday morning. Gary Webster may not be a politician but he knows there are some big political behinds on line if he can’t get this deal done.
Photograph by Feistygaljt.
11 comments
As I’ve said in other posts, I get the impression from the union that they’re taking this to the wall no matter what concessions are made and that it has something to do with a bad relationship between Mr. Webster and Mr. Kinnear.
I think this makes a strike inevitable, but want to be wrong. A strike is going to lead to a war of attitudes between transit workers and the public and that will do nothing to nurture positive opinion towards transit.
I think unions should have the right to strike and I also think they should have the smarts to know when not to strike. Mr. Kinnear might argue that as they’ve been without a contract since April 1st that he’s been very flexible. However, any interruption of service is seen by the public as unnecessary, so regardless of when he strikes, he’s going to look like the irrational one.
I think that there is going to be a strike. One that last long enough to save the TTC enough money to pay for the increases in the new contract. The city will look like it stood up to the Union. The Union will declare victory (3% wage increase) and the impact will be pushed forward to next years budget. [/cynic]
TTC should be an essential service. Nobody factors in the costs to business, citizens and the City in terms of preparations that people are making right now on top of the strike period.
I’ve been posting a lot of comments asking for an Ontario version of the New York State Taylor Law (which declares transit essential and forbids strikes). Under the Taylor Law, impasses go to binding arbitration. After 40 years under this law, I’d be interested in knowing the net effects. What were TTC and MTA worker salaries/benefits in 1967 compared to 2007? Relative to other city workers (a big point with Kinnear), has the TTC union actually dropped vis a vis the MTA’s union position?
If it can be shown that the Taylor Law has not on the whole hurt union member salaries while providing enormous benefit to the public in terms of transit stability, then there is really no argument for Toronto area MPPs to not push for a similar law in Ontario. Then the political and public energy that goes into strike issues could be put into something more productive, like expanding the stunted system.
With respect, if there is any strike the union will demand and get any lost pay included in the terms so they lose nothing. This has been a consistent point taken by countless unions including the TTC in any strike settlement.
It goes with their entitled POV.
How many of you are so entitled?
The best option would be a protracted strike that forced the public to consider whether transit monopolies are really such a good idea. The only agenda here that “supersedes the public interest” is the transit union’s.
If Bob Kinnear can’t get along with Gary Webster, maybe he would prefer the no-nosense, tight-fisted, screw-the-unions approach of a few of his predecessors.
ATU’s leadership should stop making up excuses and start bargaining.
I think the union is smart enough not to strike. If they do, they’ll likely be declared an essential service and then they’ll lose the threat of a strike to use in the future. But then, it could also be that the union head isn’t thinking that far ahead. That is a weakness of elected representatives.
An interesting phenomenon regarding the TTC workers right to strike.
A Toronto Star (normally left wing) survey a few weeks back found out that 83% of readers think the TTC workers should be declared essential and not have the right to strike.
A Toronto Sun (normally right wing) survey yesterday found that 87% of readers think the exact opposite, that the TTC workers should have the right to strike.
Another survey from the Sun says that 97% of readers are on the Worker’s side on this issue.
I’m an avowed right-winger.
Did Hell just freeze over?
its time for one of our leaders to take a page from reagan. those who are so unhappy with their job should be bounced, kinnear included.
You know, the TTC is hiring. Why aren’t you applying for a job driving a bus, if it takes so little effort and pays so incredibly well and you get to sleep half the time?