Labour Minister Expected to Intervene in Ottawa Bus Strike

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Slater and Elgin Streets, Ottawa

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Canada's Minister of Labour is expected to step into the Ottawa bus strike fray.  According to CTV.ca, Labour Minister Rona Ambrose will overrule the union executive and have the membership vote on the latest offer made by the city.

Although Ambrose could use a section of the Labour Code to take this step, this does not guarantee an end to the strike.  The CTV.ca article quotes some bus drivers who say they would vote against the offer.  The strike is currently in its third week.

"The City of Ottawa asked Rona Ambrose to invoke a rarely used section of the labour code after talks between the two sides broke off Christmas Eve.

Senior Conservative sources told CTV News on Monday the labour minister could order the union to put the issue to a vote as early as Tuesday.

It's a move Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien says he thinks will be the fastest way to end the dispute.

'If they don't vote to approve it, we have a different issue to deal with. But we believe hardworking members of ATU 279 will approve our offer and accept our offer and get back to work,' said O'Brien.

The key issue of the dispute remains control over bus driver scheduling, which OC Transpo management wants to take back from drivers.

Although the city wants transit workers to vote on their latest offer, many drivers marching the picket lines Monday told CTV Ottawa they will reject the proposal.

'No way, no way . . . not going to vote for it," said one striking bus driver.

'The drivers aren't going to accept it. We say, we stay out until the scheduling issue is off the table.'

Source: CTV.ca