On Monday, August 10, the members of the Ottawa bargaining unit of TForce Logistics Canada Inc. will vote on the employer’s final offer. A strike vote will also be held.
Negotiations with TForce have been contentious from the very beginning, and while we were able to secure new collective agreements for the other TForce bargaining units across the country, the employer has refused to engage in any meaningful negotiations with the Ottawa workers and CUPW.
Our demands are fair and reasonable. Drivers who have helped TForce and its Parent company amass $864 million in profit before taxes last year want their first pay increase in seven years. They want their employer to recognize their employee status so they can receive employment insurance and paid sick leave. They also want their WSIB grievance to be heard in arbitration. Drivers, who have delivered through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to flatten the curve, have no safety net if they fall sick. That is unacceptable.