Toronto Transit union rejects offer

The Toronto Transit’s unionized employees, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, was nearly unanimous in rejecting the City of Toronto’s offer.

They will be in a legal strike position April 1.

The last legal strike was in 1999, though maintenance workers walked out illegally in May, 2006, resulting in a surprise one-day transit shutdown.

Transit workers should be well paid. Unlike many public workers, they actually provide a useful service, they take a lot of abuse from the public – both verbal and physical – and you need skills to drive a bus or subway train. Hell, I have a hard enough time manoeuvring a Cavalier down Toronto’s streets, let alone a big bus.

But should they be allowed to shut the city down if they don’t like their pay? Hmmm