London Transit en route to possible strike
Pull-up those Ugg's and lace-up those Nike's kids - long hikes to class may be in store for Fanshawe students.
Employees of London Transit Commission have given their union authority to strike if a new agreement cannot be reached. The latest agreement expired July 1, 2006 and negotiations have been going on since May 2006.
In the wake of a nearly month-long strike by the Durham Region Transit, the public transit available to Durham College students, a potential strike in London would have a profound effect on Fanshawe College students in the city.
Steve Holmes, president of the Local 741 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said that despite the authority the union has to strike, it likely will not happen.
“We would have to be pushed to that point,” Holmes said. “It would be a last ditch thing that we would do… I hope we do not have to strike.”
Holmes said that there are a few key issues that are prolonging negotiations for a new contract, but could not mention the specific issues.
“We are not bargaining in the press,” Holmes said. “However, we are looking for fair recognition and remuneration for our drivers.”
Progress is being made, despite problems with transit administration, according to Holmes.
“There is a problem with management not coming with everything to the table,” Holmes added. “It's not like we are spitting at each other from across the table. We are talking and during negotiations some issues have been dealt with.”
Holmes said the Interrobang and Fanshawe representatives would be advised of the facts and key issues well in advance of a potential strike.
Durham College went through a Transit strike throughout the majority of October, beginning on October 5, before the issue was finally resolved on November 1.
Durham College Student Association President Evan Muller-Cheng said more then a third of Durham's student population was negatively effected by the strike.
“We have ten-thousand-plus students on our campus and thirty-five per cent of them needed public transit on a daily basis,” Muller-Cheng said. “So we had thirty-five-hundred students stranded at home.”
Muller-Cheng added that class attendance was affected by the strike as well.
“We heard from students and professors that many students were missing classes due to the strike,” Muller-Cheng said. “It was a huge issue for students.”
Fanshawe Student Union President Christine Thomson said it would be horrible if a transit strike occurred in London. “A potential transit strike is going to affect the majority of students at Fanshawe,” Thomson said. “These students have no other way of getting to class. I don't know if everyone has wrapped their heads around what would happen if there is no bus service.”
In order to deal with the issue of students having no options for public transit, the Durham College Student Association worked with College administration to develop two methods to help out students during their community's nearly month-long strike.
“We started a car pooling service, posting sheets around the school for people who could give rides and people who needed rides,” Muller-Cheng said. “We also had a reactive approach as well, making up to fifteen dollars for taxi's available to students who needed rides and lived in a ten kilometer radius of the school.”
Thomson said that the Student Union and Fanshawe officials had not discussed a contingency plan for transporting students to the College in the event of a potential transit strike in London.
“Currently, the FSU has discussed no type of contingency plan, because the LTC has not voted to strike yet,” Thomson said. “But, if they do, then we will need to get on it quickly to see what we can do.” In the event of a strike, Thomson said the FSU would look into getting money back to students for the mandatory fee for the student's bus passes.
“We, as the FSU, would need to see what we can do to get a reimbursement for passes should the strike last a reasonable amount of days,” said Thomson.
Employees of London Transit Commission have given their union authority to strike if a new agreement cannot be reached. The latest agreement expired July 1, 2006 and negotiations have been going on since May 2006.
In the wake of a nearly month-long strike by the Durham Region Transit, the public transit available to Durham College students, a potential strike in London would have a profound effect on Fanshawe College students in the city.
Steve Holmes, president of the Local 741 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said that despite the authority the union has to strike, it likely will not happen.
“We would have to be pushed to that point,” Holmes said. “It would be a last ditch thing that we would do… I hope we do not have to strike.”
Holmes said that there are a few key issues that are prolonging negotiations for a new contract, but could not mention the specific issues.
“We are not bargaining in the press,” Holmes said. “However, we are looking for fair recognition and remuneration for our drivers.”
Progress is being made, despite problems with transit administration, according to Holmes.
“There is a problem with management not coming with everything to the table,” Holmes added. “It's not like we are spitting at each other from across the table. We are talking and during negotiations some issues have been dealt with.”
Holmes said the Interrobang and Fanshawe representatives would be advised of the facts and key issues well in advance of a potential strike.
Durham College went through a Transit strike throughout the majority of October, beginning on October 5, before the issue was finally resolved on November 1.
Durham College Student Association President Evan Muller-Cheng said more then a third of Durham's student population was negatively effected by the strike.
“We have ten-thousand-plus students on our campus and thirty-five per cent of them needed public transit on a daily basis,” Muller-Cheng said. “So we had thirty-five-hundred students stranded at home.”
Muller-Cheng added that class attendance was affected by the strike as well.
“We heard from students and professors that many students were missing classes due to the strike,” Muller-Cheng said. “It was a huge issue for students.”
Fanshawe Student Union President Christine Thomson said it would be horrible if a transit strike occurred in London. “A potential transit strike is going to affect the majority of students at Fanshawe,” Thomson said. “These students have no other way of getting to class. I don't know if everyone has wrapped their heads around what would happen if there is no bus service.”
In order to deal with the issue of students having no options for public transit, the Durham College Student Association worked with College administration to develop two methods to help out students during their community's nearly month-long strike.
“We started a car pooling service, posting sheets around the school for people who could give rides and people who needed rides,” Muller-Cheng said. “We also had a reactive approach as well, making up to fifteen dollars for taxi's available to students who needed rides and lived in a ten kilometer radius of the school.”
Thomson said that the Student Union and Fanshawe officials had not discussed a contingency plan for transporting students to the College in the event of a potential transit strike in London.
“Currently, the FSU has discussed no type of contingency plan, because the LTC has not voted to strike yet,” Thomson said. “But, if they do, then we will need to get on it quickly to see what we can do.” In the event of a strike, Thomson said the FSU would look into getting money back to students for the mandatory fee for the student's bus passes.
“We, as the FSU, would need to see what we can do to get a reimbursement for passes should the strike last a reasonable amount of days,” said Thomson.
