Ontario Labour Relations Board hands down ruling sending dispute to arbitration
The Ontario Labour Board has issued a ruling that is sending 200 Toronto airport limo drivers back to work. The drivers have been off the road since Dec. 1, 2010, when the company refused to issue necessary provincial registration stickers for their vehicles.
Last week’s ruling means that the owner's decision constitutes a lock-out and workers are allowed to resume their jobs.
“This lock-out was totally unnecessary,” says Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) National Representative Sukhvinder Johl. “With today’s decision, our members go back to work immediately while awaiting a final decision by an arbitrator on what their new contract will be.
The union says the owner stopped negotiating completely while seeking to increase the fees the company collects from the drivers. This is the union’s first agreement with the employer.
Currently, drivers must buy their vehicle from the owner and pay a monthly fee of $7,000 for the right to operate one of their limousines, according to an earlier press release. The union would like to see these fees reduced.
The drivers are represented by CAW Local 252 and are employees of McIntosh, Air Cab and Aeroport, which are all owned by Zahavy Limousines.
