Transit unions
appeal law
prohibiting
TTC strikes
TORONTO — The 2011 On-
tario law forbidding strikes or
lockouts at the Toronto Transit
Commission (TTC) is being
appealed as unconstitutional.
The Amalgamated Transit
Union (ATU) Local 113 sub-
mitted the appeal to the Ontar-
io Superior Court of Justice on
Oct. 26. The union represents
more than 10,000 operating
and maintenance staff with the
TTC.
The Canadian Union of Pub-
lic Employees (CUPE) joined to
the action on behalf of its Local
2, which represents TTC elec-
trical, signaling and instrumen-
tation technicians, and its Local
5089, which represents TTC
fare inspectors and special con-
stables.
Bill 150, enacted on March
31, 2011, designated the TTC
as an essential service and pro-
vided for binding arbitration if
the union and employer were
unable to arrive at a freely ne-
gotiated collective agreement.
"The right to bargain with
your employer about the value
of your skill, knowledge and ef-
fort is meaningless if you can-
not legally withhold your la-
bour as a part of the bargaining
process," said ATU Local 113
president Bob Kinnear.
"Our challenge to Bill 150 is
of much larger consequence
than our right to bargain for
our work. It is also a challenge
against the power of govern-
ment to limit any of our Char-
ter rights without compelling
reasons that would stand up in
a neutral court of law."
Air Canada,
CUPE reach
agreement
for fl ight
attendants
MONTREAL — Air Canada
and the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE)
reached a new agreement for
flight attendants.
The 10-year deal, subject to
ratification, will affect about
6,500 employees at Air Canada
and 700 employees at Air Can-
ada Rouge.
"This is a win-win agreement
that will provide added stability
and flexibility while acknowl-
edging the important contri-
bution of our flight attendants
towards Air Canada's future
success," said Benjamin Smith,
president of Air Canada's pas-
senger airlines.
"As the fifth collective agree-
ment reached with unions
representing our employees
over the past year, it is further
indication of the collaborative
partnership that is building
Air Canada into a global cham-
pion."
According to the union, the
agreement includes provisions
on job security, as well as sev-
eral other important gains. The
agreement is subject to ratifica-
tion by the membership. Ad-
ditionally, it will be subject to
certain openers over its 10-year
period.
CUPE's bargaining com-
mittee unanimously endorsed
the tentative agreement to the
union's membership. Details
of the tentative deal will not be
released pending ratification
and approval by the Air Canada
board of directors.
LABOUR BRIEFS
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