York Region terminates First Canada contract;plans to restore North Division service for riders

NEWMARKET - The Regional Municipality of York has terminated its contract with First Canada, operator of 29 YRT/Viva routes in northern York Region, effective immediately.

 

York Region is working to complete a new contract with a different contractor to operate these routes. Route 98 on Yonge Street will begin service February 5 between the Towns of Newmarket and Richmond Hill with additional North Division routes to follow.

 

“It is outrageous that nearly a month has passed since First Canada and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1587 last met to negotiate their agreement,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “This strike continues in the midst of winter at the expense of riders. With neither side showing any regard or urgency, and no resolution in sight, we are doing everything we can to help restore transit service for our riders while protecting the taxpayer.”

 

Today, York Region notified First Canada it has exercised its legal right of early termination of the North Division contract, otherwise set to expire June 27, 2012. A contract with a new service provider will be presented to York Regional Council on January 26 for review and approval. Details of a service restoration plan for the North Division will then be finalized.

 

The Region also issued letters today to York BRT Services and Miller Transit requesting a detailed service recovery plan by Friday, January 20, outlining additional region-wide service restoration options while the transit strike continues. The Region continues to review these two additional contracts, and await the results of tomorrow’s York BRT Services Ministry of Labour supervised vote with members of ATU Local 113.

 

Termination of the First Canada contract follows last week’s decision by the Region to add 60-foot articulated Viva buses along Route 99, serving Yonge Street between Bernard Terminal and the Finch GO Bus Terminal, replacing the majority of the 40-foot YRT buses on this route.

 

“Within the last five days, York Region has taken two significant steps to begin adding capacity and restoring service for our transit riders, and we will continue to seek more region-wide solutions,” said Chairman Fisch. “The Region cannot restore full service overnight, but we will continue to do all within our power to deliver additional service for the riders who have suffered far too long during this strike.”

 

The Region has allowed ample time for the bargaining process to unfold, and despite efforts to encourage the parties to negotiate an end to this dispute, they have failed to do so, including the recent rejection of Miller Transit’s Ministry of Labour supervised offer by 83 per cent. Additionally, First Canada had not been able to arrange a supervised vote on its last contract offer with the Federal Ministry of Labour.

 

York Region does not have the contractual right to order the parties to arbitration, and Regional Council has been clear in its position not to request back-to-work legislation from the Provincial Government or support arbitration as a means to end the YRT/Viva strike.

 

YRT/Viva continues to assist transit riders with travel options through the Customer Service Centre at 1-866-MOVE-YRT (668-3978). Ongoing updates are available on www.yrt.ca  and www.york.ca Residents can also follow York Region on Twitter @YorkRegionGovt and Facebook www.facebook.com/YorkRegion

 

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Media Contact: Kim MacGillivray, Corporate Communications, York Region
 1-877-464-9675, ext. 1209 • Cell: 905-251-6412 • kim.macgillivray@york.ca