Missing pages from our Canadian history?

I often check the news services about the situation of employment in Canada. Having four children, I realize that the future of Labour in Canada is of great importance. I want them to live in a world where they can have useful and good paying jobs that will support them, their families and their fellow citizens.
I am not so sure that the Canadian government feels the same way. In a recent article on the Straight Goods website, David Frank discusses a study published by the Government of Canada called: Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. Workers, unions and Labour are all given a brief mention usually as an afterthought with no mention of their history or importance.
Here's the link to David's article. I hope it makes you think about our place in Canada, a wonderful place to live and work.

http://www.straightgoods.ca/2010/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=727

Brian Tansy
[Submitted by Brian Tansy]

ATU Local 741

To All Guest and Visitors

ATU Local 741 is part of a International Union representing over 200,000 Members across North America with over 28,000 Members in Canada.

ATU Local 741 represents 455 Active Members at the London Transit Commission and over 200 Retired Members.

ATU Local 741 represents the Transit Operators, Dispatchers, Inspectors Ticket Clerks and Maintenance Workers which includes the Mechanics, General Service, Body Shop, Stores, Clerks and Engineers at London Transit.

ATU Local 741 has represented the Members for the last 93 years and will be celebrating our 100th anniversary in 2017.

ATU Local 741's goal is to improve the working conditions of its Members, by securing fair wages and benefits while providing a viable cost efficient service to the Citizens of London. We are supportive of higher wages and benefits for all workers and are involved in organizing other workplaces. We are actively involved in local charities and provide assistance to several different groups within the City of London.

ATU Local 741 and its Members are not considered City Employees although City Hall and the Citizens of London own the London Transit Commission.

ATU Local 741 is planning to be involved in the next City election and we are planning to inform our 80,000 daily riders of "Transit Friendly Mayor & Councilors" in the next election. The major issues facing public transit workers is the issue of violence in the workplace, the under funding of the public transit system in London and the need to improve the over all system.

[Submitted by Pat Hunniford
President ATU Local 741]

Last Ditch Efforts by Union Executive Fail to Bring City to Table

The Executive and Membership of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741 deeply regret that this labour dispute has resulted in what by all appearances will be a strike. Our goal from the outset was to maintain service to the public while negotiating with management, but management, the London Transit Commission, and today the Mayor have all declared that they don't care to negotiate. They don't care that the public is being put out by their refusal to negotiate. They don't care that Operators are being assaulted and the public is being endangered. They don't care.

At a time when management is spending $700,000 on a tent to shelter broken buses, they are leaving you out in the cold. When they are spending $1,000,000 to pave a parking lot that was built only a year ago, they are asking you to walk the pavement. When they are tendering another $1,000,000 for office renovations in what they call 'this economy', they are saying they couldn't care less whether you get to work or to school. When they charter a bus to get themselves to work, having never ridden a city bus to work, they are slapping you and us in our faces and telling us to take it or leave it.

The cost of fares and passes have increased by 10% in the last year. City hall has already approved a 6.75% increase in the operating budget, and grants and rebates from upper levels of government have totalled over $53,000,000. There is an operating surplus this year so far of another almost $1,000,000. In comparison to populated areas in Ontario, London was 7th largest, but was 4th in rides per million and 2nd in rides per capita.

We are only asking to be compensated fairly based on where we stand in comparison with other transit properties in Ontario. We don't think it's unreasonable that the men and women who take you to work or shopping or the doctor, or take your children to school should have similar benefits to the hard-working city employees who pick up your garbage.

London as a city would have to raise its contribution to public transit by more than 30% just to equal the level of funding virtually every other city in the province dedicates to mass transit. With that level of funding, our demands would be miniscule. Our system would be adequately staffed. Our equipment would be adequately maintained. Schedules could be developed that work for people, not simulations.

You can help get management, the Commission, and the City back to the bargaining table. You can help get the buses back on the road.

Call your councillor. They have been ordered by the City to not talk to us. It is their job to talk to you. Let them know you want the buses running and an honest effort put towards public transportation in this city. Here are their numbers:

Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco Best
City Hall: 519-661-2500 x4920

Controller Tom Gosnell
City Hall: 519-661-2500 x0332
Home: 519-850-7070

Controller Gord Hume
City Hall: 519-661-2500 x4877
Home: 519-657-7755

Controller Gina Barber
City Hall: 519-661-2500 x7011
Home: 519-472-4790

Controller Bud Polhill
City Hall: 519-661-2500 x4882
Home: 519-455-6953

Council

Ward 11 David Winninger Chair of London Transit Commission
City Hall:519-661-2500 x6505
Home:519-472-2296

Ward 12 Harold Usher London Transit Commissioner
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4879
Home:519-686-7502

Ward 1 Roger Caranci
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4597
Cell:519-636-3407

Ward 2 Bill Armstrong
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4943
Home:519-453-1188

Ward 3 Bernie MacDonald
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4884
Home:519-453-2231

Ward 4 Stephen Orser
City Hall:519-661-2500 x7012

Ward 5 Joni Baechler
City Hall:519-661-2500 x2444

Ward 6 Nancy Ann Branscombe
City Hall:519-661-2500 x7014
Home:519-432-1100

Ward 7 Walter Lonc
City Hall:519-661-2500 x7015

Ward 8 Paul Hubert
City Hall:519-661-2500 x7016
Home:519-657-4934

Ward 9 Susan Eagle
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4876
Home:519-657-8720

Ward 10 Paul van Meerbergen
City Hall:519-661-2500 x1558
Home:519-641-6515

Ward 13 Judy Bryant
City Hall:519-661-2500 x0370

Ward 14 Cheryl Miller
City Hall:519-661-2500 x4880
Home:519-681-0863

The Union and its Membership thank you for your support. We see you every day and we realize that this dispute will cause you great inconvenience. We apologize for that, but we have tried to bargain in good faith and to keep the system running and management won't have it. Call City Hall every time you are put out by this strike and they will soon realize that they have taken the wrong track. They should maybe have taken the bus.

Investing In Public Transit

Members of ATU Local 741 agree that it is time to invest in public transit and the men and women who provide this vital service to our community. Photo © atu741.ca