More traffic, more riders and more assaults should mean more money.
That’s what TTC drivers will get if they ratify a new tentative contract hammered out by their union and TTC management on the weekend.
But the so-called “GTA clause” that would ensure TTC drivers earn more than bus drivers in the rest of the region may set a dangerous precedent, some observers say.
“I think it’s a mistake to have done that,” said Coun. Doug Holyday.
“If, for some reason, another community gives a higher rate, then we’re stuck with that.”
Even a fraction of a percentage point will affect the bottom line.
“We’ve turned over control. It’s not wise,” he said.
The GTA clause applies only to the drivers. It means if, at the end of 2009, they are still earning less than their counterparts in other cities, they will get an increase of 5 cents an hour above the other drivers’ wage. TTC drivers have been earning 5 cents an hour less than those in Mississauga.
The 5 cents is over and above the 3 per cent increase TTC drivers will get in each year of the three-year deal, said Amalgamated Transit Union president Bob Kinnear.
But some details must still be finalized. The clause, a first for TTC workers, will cost between $2 million and $3 million annually, he said.
It’s not much, given the overall wage and benefits package, estimated to cost about $160 million annually.
