CALEDONIA, Ont. -- Yesterday morning, Serco driver examiners, lead by United Steelworkers Union 9511 president Jim Young, protested at KRTS Transportation Specialists headquarters to oppose Serco management conducting road tests on site.
“This labour dispute needs to get fixed and fixed ASAP. I really feel for the taxpayers of Ontario. The Government of Ontario sold the farm when they contracted Serco for the delivery of road tests in Ontario,” says Kim Richardson, President of KRTS.
The drivers being tested yesterday were clients of KRTS and have been waiting for up to 12 weeks for tests. Examiners were not testing the general public.
“I’m extremely concerned that management performs these road tests. They are not qualified or have kept up their qualifications to properly deliver these tests,” said Young.
Richardson added: “Our clients have all been educated to the highest standard in North America; the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). In my opinion, they were qualified for a profession in driving 13 weeks ago.”
The strike is entering its 13th week and it is estimated to have affected 300,000 people in the province.
Truck News’ WebTV show, Transportation Matters, was on-site to record the events as they unfolded. Look for the full report in our Multimedia section on Nov. 26.