NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 25, 2011
McGuinty Government Votes Against Ending the York Region Transit Strike
Liberal MPPs reject back to work legislation for striking YRT workers
(Queen's Park) Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman says that by voting against a Bill that would end the York Region Transit (YRT) strike, the McGuinty Government turned its back on York Region residents.
“As far as I am concerned the McGuinty Government’s vote against my Private Member’s Bill to end the York Region Transit strike says that they are not concerned about the personal and economic hardship that our residents are experiencing as a result of the labour disruption,” said Shurman. “I am disappointed that the Liberal government has treated York Region as a second class citizen and refused to give our residents the same protection against transit strikes that those living and working in the City of Toronto enjoy.”
On Thursday November 24, 2011 Ontario MPPs voted on Bill 7, the York Region Transit Labour Disputes Resolution Act 2011. The Bill, introduced by Peter Shurman, would have ended the transit strike in York Region immediately, assigned an arbitrator to facilitate a fair deal and declared YRT an essential service. NDP and Liberal MPPs, including those representing York Region ridings (Greg Sorbara, Minister Michael Chan, Helena Jaczek and Reza Moridi) voted against ending the strike and the Bill was defeated.
"We are now in the fifth week of the transit strike, yet the McGuinty Government has failed to take any action and has, in fact, rejected our efforts to end the strike,” Shurman added. “MPPs have a free vote in Private Member’s Legislation and I am disappointed that my colleagues from Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Oak Ridges and Markham refused to stand up for their constituents.”
The transit strike in York Region began on Monday, October 24th, 2011 and affects more than 70,000 commuters. Earlier this year the McGuinty Government passed a Bill that declared TTC in the City of Toronto an essential service, but yesterday voted against extending the same protection to York Region.
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For more information please contact:
Monika Bujalska
Office of Peter Shurman, MPP
Tel: 416-325-2505
E-mail:
monika.bujalska@pc.ola.org