Huron Expositor, 2009-12-09, Page 24Page 24 The Huron Expositor • December 9, 2009
News
Drive Test employees want to go back to bargaining table
Cheryl Heath
They want to head back to the bar-
gaining table.
After more than 15 weeks in a lock-
out/strike situation, the province's
600 Drive Test employees are eager
to find a resolution to issues that
have been plaguing them since the
province downloaded theservice to a
private United Kingdom -based con-
tractor, Serco DES Inc., in 2003.
It was then, say union officials, that
the private company began system-
atically downsizing staff and chang-
ing full-time positions into part-time
ones while arguing, in some quar-
ters, that the work is seasonal..
Part of the sad reality for the strik-
ers is there has been little media at-
tention and a lot of misunderstand-
ing about why Drive Test workers
are not on the job.
"It's not about money at:all," says
Kathy Doupe, a part-time:;Drive Test
rive
employee in Clinton. Its _,about job
security. Seniority." -L -
She says the new normal -at Drive
Test offices is to do away :with full-
time positions in favour .: r -time
ones with the resulting ; ect that
a Day One employee is viewed with
the same seniority as a long-term
employee.
Further, notes Doupe, the private
contractor is offering up only 10
hours of guaranteed work each week,
down from the ,current standard of
22 hours.
More evidence of the private con-
tractor's long-range plans for long-
term employees, she says; can be
seen in the fact that 800 people were
employed in Drive Test offices when
the Ministry of Transportation On-
tario operated it while today there
are only 600 people left and about
half of those positions are part-time.
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Drive Test employees picket at the Clinton office.
To add to the frustration, says
Doupe, is Members of Provincial
Parliament (MPPs) seem to have
washed their hands of the strike/
lockout since the service was hand-
ed over to a private contractor. And
yet, she notes, there must be some
understanding that it is a vital ser-
vice given that MTO held onto one
Drive Test office, which is located at
Queen's Park,
Betty Maddox, a 22 -year full-
time Drive Test employee, notes
the strike is having a far-reaching
impact on Ontarians ranging from
truckers who are unable to acquire
accreditation to seniors who have
been instructed to retest for varying
reasons.
The strike is also killing driving
schools since students don't see the
value in learning
how to drive when
a licence cannot
be issued due to
the strike/lockout.
Maddox ac-
knowledges feel- Tired of waiting for the 100-
ing frustrated by day driving examiner strike
the argument that to resolve, Dominion Driver
Training instructor Carol
Blake helped organize a bus
trip that took 46 teens on Fri-
day to Toronto to write their
G1 written exams.
The teens, from Seaforth,
and Stratford, were
taken to the DriveTlestcen-
tre where they each took the
exam for $85. Partial opera-
tions resumed at some of On-
tario's DriveThst centres late
last month for the first time
since the strike began Aug.
21.
On Nov. 30, protestors held
a rally at Queens Park for
those affected by the strike,
demanding that politicians
order Drivelbst employees to
go back to work.
But the province refused to
step in to put an end to the
strike.
"The government is ignoring
Drive Test workers' du-
ties are seasonal.
"We've always had
lots of work in the win-
ter," she says. "It's not
seasonal. Our govern-
ment won't speak up."
Drive Test workers
note the private contrac-
tor's unfolding process of
opening a select few of-
fices, manned by manag-
ers, is unfair because the
offices don't offer the full
range of services needed
by Ontarians.
Union members also
point out the company
is inviting employees to
cross the picket line, but they are
not budging when it comes time to
negotiate with Drive Test workers'
present-day union, the United Steel
Workers, Local 9511.
"They're hurting our members
when they're really vulnerable,"
notes Maddox. "We want to go back
to work."
Unfortunately, says Maddox, the
workers' pleas are falling on unlis-
tening ears at Queen's Park since
even Transportation Minister Jim
Bradley seems reluctant to get in-
volved.
Lisa Osinga, a part-time worker at
Drive Test in Clinton, adds one of the
more unfortunate aspects of the cur-
rent situation is the limited services
that are being handled are not being
properly administered.
She notes MTO would routinely au-
dit Drive Test offices and that there
are extensive protocols in place for
various services, including AZ test-
ing, that seem to be falling by the
way side.
And, notes Maddox, it is some-
what ironic that Ontarians are being
asked to pay up front to book road
tests when the service isn't uniform-
ly available.
Ultimately, it is the combination of
a desire to provide a quality service
while ensuring a fair work environ-
ment that keeps Drive Test workers
from crossing the picket line.
"We all feel strongly enough. That's
why we're out here," says Maddox.
And, adds part-time Drive Test
staffer Janice Van Dorp, who works
in Stratford, the current situation
that sees some offices open only to
be manned by managers from oth-
er communities is untenable for all
stakeholders.
"Bottom line, they should be going
back to the table," she says.
"We're speaking up more because it
is not us that are keeping our doors
closed," says Maddox. "(We hope
someone can) get a hold of (Serco
management) and say, `please go
back to the table.' We want to get
back to the table."
Paul Dalglish, managing director
for Drive Tbst/Serco DES Inc., could
not be reached for comment as of
press time..
Local driving school buses teens to
Toronto to write their GIdriving exams
it," says Blake, who's been a teens to a DriveTest centre
driving instructor for the past currently allowing G1 exams
25 years. to be written, on Feb. 1.
Blake says that since the lb attend,. call Dominion
strike began, it's estimated Driver Traiing at 1 -800 -665 -
that 863,000 . people across 3027.
Ontario have been prevented On last week's trip, the teens
from getting a licence, includ- paid for the bus, while Domin-
ing drivers of transport trucks, ion Driver Training supplied
ambulances and buses, along the driver, along with two
with teens. instructors to help the group
After passing their G1 writ- study from the handbook that
ten exam, the teens on the questions from the exam are
Toronto bus trip can. now get based on..
behind the wheel with a ful- , Blake says students can still
ly-licensed driver who has at take the in -class training,
least four years of experience. which is offered at Central
Young drivers who've passed Huron Secondary School, be -
their written exams now have fore attempting the G1 writ -
to wait 12 months before ten exam.
they're eligible to take the G1 She adds that since the be -
road exam. The waiting time !ginning of the strike, Domin-
is .eight months if they take ion Driver Training has not
driving lessons from an driv- seen a significant decline in
ing school approved by the business, unlike manyother
Ministry of Transportation. driving schools acrss the
Blake says she might or- province.
ganize a second bus trip for By Dan Schwab