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VIA Rail, CAW still at the table

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TORONTO — Via Rail and the union representing some of its workers are continuing to negotiate in a Montreal hotel in an attempt to reach a deal before the union’s midnight strike deadline.

“We remain hopeful,” Via spokeswoman Mylene Belanger said Thursday. “Talks are continuing and we are prepared to keep talking until the deadline.”

Earlier in the day, the Canadian Auto Workers union said talks had stalled because Via attempted to circumvent the negotiation process by communicating directly with its employees.

“There’s no chance to reach an agreement by the deadline,” said Bob Orr, assistant to the president of the CAW.

“Via has chosen to bargain with the members and not with the bargaining committee. We’re sitting in a hotel and we’re reading about what they’re saying to the membership.”

But later in the evening, the union confirmed that negotiations had resumed but said the two sides were still far apart on a number of major issues.

“Talks are taking place at the committee level, and have been between high level officials over the past few hours, but we are still miles apart on key issues,” Orr said.

The union represents about 2,000 of Via’s customer service employees, as well as on-board service and maintenance workers at the passenger rail company.

Via Rail presented its latest proposal on Wednesday, offering wage increases of two per cent every year for three years.

However, the offer also includes higher employee contributions to the pension plan that the union says would result in members taking home less money, not more.

“What the company wants to do is increase employees’ pension contributions substantially over the next three years,” Orr said.

The union also objected to plans that would slash pension benefits for new Via employees and the rolling back of income protections for seasonal workers.

Via said its employees need to contribute more to the pension because it currently faces a $419-million deficit.

“There are no major concessions that are being asked of current full-time employees, except to have them help maintain the current pension plan by increasing their contributions,” said Belanger.

Passengers and crew disembarking from the Via train arriving in Windsor from Toronto just after 11 p.m. Thursday took it in stride that they had made the trip just under the wire before the looming deadline.

“I’ll have to take the crappy bus,” said Shayna Bechard, waiting on the station platform. “It takes a lot longer and it’s not comfortable.”

Told that Via Rail was hoping to keep the service going with the use of supervisory staff, she said she was not sure if she would use the train in a strike situation.

“I’m just going to hope it doesn’t happen.” Bechard  said. “It won’t be awful. But if it goes on for a long time…”

Bechard  takes the train “every two or three months” to visit family in Windsor. She attends school in Toronto. She was aware of the impending strike threat and that was why she decided to travel Thursday, rather than Friday. But, she added, many of her fellow passengers seemed unaware.

Andria Balla said her daughter, a passenger on the train, would miss the service badly. She said she takes the train every two weeks to come home from Toronto, where she attends school.

“This will hit her hard,” she said. “Via is cheap, direct, convenient and it’s home …  She comes back often for support. It will affect her emotionally.”

Katherine Cost, from Ann Arbor, said she will miss the service if there is a protracted strike. She said she is planning on moving to Toronto and uses the train frequently to visit family and make arrangements for the move.

“I heard about it, read it in the paper,” she said. “I don’t know what the grievances are but I hope they work something out. I like the service here compared to the U.S. The service is quite good. They help you with your bags and the train is usually early, compared to the American trains, I would miss it.”

Members of the train crew, for the most part, declined comment and would not give their names. However one crew member said he didn’t believe picketing would begin until later Friday morning.

In the event of a strike, Via would use supervisory personnel to keep the trains running. The plan would see the corporation offer basic rail service, including daily trips in the morning and at night on the Quebec City to Windsor corridor. Long distance routes and remote areas would be serviced once a week. Only economy class service will be offered during the stoppage.

There would be a Via trains leaving Windsor for Toronto at 9:05 a.m. and arriving at 1:11 p.m., and at 5:45 p.m. arriving at 9:51 p.m. Trains from Toronto to Windsor would leave at 7:35 a.m. and arrive 11:43 a.m. and 7:05 p.m. arriving at 11:10 p.m.  Monday through Sunday during the work interruption.

The strike would effect over 2,200 employees who provide service to travellers in stations, for telephone ticket sales, in offices, at maintenance centres  and on board trains.  The CAW contract expired Dec. 31, 2012 and talks have been ongoing since October, with the participation of federal mediators.

The Canadian Press

With files from Don Lajoie/The Windsor Star



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