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Driving test strike averted as talks continue
Aug 20, 2009 06:35 AM
Precious Yutangco
<!-- CREDIT 1--> Staff Reporters
<!-- AUTHOR 2--> Madeleine White
<!-- ARTICLE CONTENT --> A strike by Ontario's driving examiners has been averted, at least for another day, as negotiations continue between the union representing the workers and their employer.
Members of the United Steelworkers local 9511 initially planned to strike at 2 a.m. Thursday morning but negotiations continued hours past that deadline.
At around 6 this morning, union president Jim Young told the Star he was in the process of drafting a letter asking its members to "report to work as scheduled."
The memo, which will be posted on their website sometime this morning, also mentions an extension on the strike deadline.
If a tentative deal is not penned by 2 a.m. Friday, then workers will walk off the job, Young said.
When asked whether it looked like a deal was going to be made, Young simply said, "The possibility is there."
Shortly after the initial strike deadline passed, Paul Dalglish, the representative of Serco DES Inc., the examiners' employer, said, "it's always a good sign" when talks continue.
United Steelworkers local 9511 represents the employees of 55 of Ontario's full DriveTest locations and 38 occasionally open centres. Both are the only facilities that grant licences to novice drivers and renew licences for motorists over 80 years old.
Regular renewals of licences for drivers who do not require testing will continue to be available at Ontario Driver & Vehicle Licence Issuing Offices.
If negotiations fall through, all centres will be closed starting Friday morning and no road or written tests will take place for the duration of the strike.
However, the Ministry of Transportation is ready to enact new legislation that would extend the expiry dates on licences, meaning that no one would lose driving privileges they already have, said Dalglish of Serco DES Inc., the employer of the examiners.
Aspiring drivers will be denied testing until the labour dispute is resolved.
The threat of a strike comes after months of negotiations between the two parties.
They began discussing the contentious "second agreement" in mid-February, said Young.
This agreement is the second part of a larger labour contract that started three years ago.
Earlier Wednesday, union members reviewed a final offer from Serco DES and voted overwhelmingly to reject it and strike if a better deal could not be reached by the Thursday morning deadline.
"The first agreement had a lot of loose wording that slipped through the cracks and we're trying to repair that," said Young. "At the same time we are looking at job security issues and dealing with recognizing seniority."
Drivers who have scheduled tests or people looking to set up future appointments can check the DriveTest website for updates on cancellations and closures.
With files from The Canadian Press
