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OTbtal daily ridership was more than 00.000 before the strike. across more than 120 routes During the strike, about 60 per cent of rid- ers cannot get on their buses. Because of the different contracts. servicc ‘in the southwest (particularly Vaughan) continues to operate normally. Those workers nearty went on strike in February. but signed a new contract. 0 The region’s transit system has a budget of about $100 million. The services are con~ traded out to TIC. Miller 'Dransit (southeast). Veolia (southwest and Viva. under separate contracts) and First Thrush (north). 0 York Region Transit was created in 2001 through the amalgamation of local transit A! the time. llwboasted about seven million riders. Before the strike. the service was on pace to set a ruwrd ridership of 21.8 million in 201 l. "Ibday is the 270: day of the transit strike. If it continua. it will otficiauy celebrate its first month ’Ihursday and has already surpassed the two-week 2008 Viva strike as the longest the region has faced. wamm. MS,W ‘J IEROOFING iii- .) mVIzS/smmc ‘J VINYL WINDOWS :1 ENHANCE/Hue DOORS ' Bccauhsc taxpayers pay about 60 per cent Facts you should know about York transit strike Bus strike into fourth week as riders remain stranded YDRK REGION BY DAVID FLEISCH ER dflliu‘hrrfiyrmg. com Ptcfitr the look and feel of wood? Edmunds is now an authode PELLA DEALER. Eliminate drafts and cold 5 with ’insnlatcd siding From 'Gentck'. availabc in over a dozen colommcluyks. Newcondnuom a:me Edmund: carries a beautiful range of steel and Wm doors from 'Truttch' and 'Ostaco'. Mix and match ‘caming' and glass options to create a customlookdmwfllmect your needs fotbodnlight and privacy. Looking for a sliding patio door that offers high end appearance. smooth and mum: operation and keeps out the cold? We have it! The ‘Moose' potio door {tom ‘Ostaco‘ is one of the strongest and best valued patio doors on the marktt. Visit Edmnnds’ showroom today to view quality 'Canadian' window. door. siding and roofing products. Diuovcr their updated window collection from ‘Osuco' and ‘Vinylbilt'. featuring the ‘VWD' highest clingy-rated windows in the industty. If you are waiting until spring to replace windows. .4001}. roofing. cavcs ot siding. perhaps it's time to Edmund: Home Improvements can perfonn any installation. through the wintet season. working around In}!!! wreath“. as required. Book your home improvement between l and March 1. 2011314! uh: advmtagc affix: lowest ptices of the year. combined with manufacturets' specials on select products. EDMUNDS HOME IMPROVEMENTS â€" WINTER INCENTIVE PROGRAM NOW/A VAILABLE 0 First 'll’ansit is similarly a division of a larger company, the, First Group. with head ofllces in Aberdeen. Scotland. Unlike Veolia. however: First focuses emime on transit. lt owm Greyhound and operates some school bus routes in York Region. among the four million students it transports every day. Mm similar to Verth the company is pub~ licly traded. According to its latest annual repon. the company's op'erating profit for 2010msnmmdmn$500million “"3 file uluy palu uunug "1C llwrs "WY (MI. a“?- “ sums 190,000 workers across nine provinces and 44 states. THE Local 1587 represents workers for First - Miller Transit is a division of Markham’s lions" and Miller. as well as GO bus drivers Miller Group. a company that now stretch- Who ratified a new contract. lts president is es across North Amerlca. [f you llve in York Ray Doyle. Region, you’ve almost certainly seen their local 113 wpresentszadrivemandgetsa brown vehicles picking up trash (Mine; waste) lot at press as the union for TI'C worker; Bob or patching up local roads (Miller Paving). Kiongzy lg the upion's pqesideot. - Voolia is part of a Paris-based congomet- ate. Veolia Envimnment. The company's web- site notes it has operations on every continent and more than 3171134 employees working in everything from transit to waste processing and operating water plants. Transit accounts for '17 per cent of Veolia‘s revenues Its shates trade on the NewYork and Pans stock exchang- (5 and. according to its consolidated financial statement for 2010. the company's profit was more than S!!!) million. of angry transit fare. the region actually saves $77,000 each day drivers remain out. Opera- [DIS are only paid during the hours they oper- ' nus commas The company also owns the Bloomington Downs golf course in Richmond Hill. The latest is that there is no latest. Since walking out Oct. 24, them has only bumoqymeetingbetween a unionandman- agement. when Veolia sat down with ATU 113 last Wednesday. to no avail. ’ o The companies say they have made good offers to which the unions have not respond- ed. 0 The unions say they want an arbitrator brought in to resolve the situation and they want the region at the table. 0 The region says it may be its transit system. but the private companiesaxe the employers. so politicians and stafl‘ have no role to play in While York Region is smaller than other (STA transit systems. the unions have focused on the (an drivers in neimbouring munici- palities â€"-â€" not just Toronto. but also Brampton and Mississauga â€"-â€" nuke about $60 an hour. while YRF workers make 323. local 113 wpresamsViva drivers andgets a lot of press as the union for 'I'I'C workem Bob Kinnear Is the union's pmsident. ‘ Sick days and benefits have also been ' me LATEST Call Edmund: Home Improvements" at 905-472â€"0276 {0: a free. no obligttion estimate. or drop by their new and expanded showroom at 80 Ballad: Dr. Unit 5, Markham. 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THE UNIONS But Labour Minister Unda lcflrcy has said her hope is the parties will come to a resolu- tion on theh’ own and despite the minority government. it's a safe bet the ND? won’t pom their PC counterparts on this issue. ‘ Ram 1051 jobs to long walks and diffi- cult trips to get to school. it's clear there's an lncmasing frustration with the lack of progress andurgenq. 0 Don't expect“ the province to get involved. either. Local ConschaIive Ml’l’s Frank Klees, Peter Shurman and Julia Munro announced last week they would ask the government to implement backâ€"m-wurk legislation when Queen's Park gets back In business Monday. - Whether or not the union has been suc~ oessful in the region into the fray. it's clear residents are at least as upset with absen- tee regional councillors as they are with the drivers who walked out. launched in late summer to engage the local communtty. the region's l-‘acehook page and Twitter feed were fairly quiet before the strike. Today. they're home to hundreds of grievances, threats of protest. online petitions and pleas to get transit mow 11183831“ negotiatiorm ' 9 Duringthe 20m strike. pickerers hit prime locations. such as the Finch Station terminal. This time. they were absent until yesterday for a singie mliy on the slaps of the regional headquarters. The goal seems to be to amid further agitathg riders while funnellng their wrath toward the region. which implemented the privatized system. * FOCUS . . ON BUSINESS (905) 9436100 please call