TORONTO, ON – September 4 – DriveTest has announced that the United Steel Workers (USW) has now agreed to return to the bargaining table. The two parties are scheduled to resume talks next Wednesday.
“This strike is hurting both our employees and our customers. We want to find a fair resolution to the outstanding issues so everyone can get back to work,” said Paul Dalglish, Managing Director of DriveTest. “We remain hopeful that renewed discussions with the USW will result in a settlement that meets the needs of our employees while allowing us to continue providing a high level of customer service throughout the year.”
DriveTest estimates that 4,000 people per day have not been able to obtain their Driver’s Licence because of the current strike called by the USW two weeks ago. Almost 600 employees of DriveTest are represented by the United Steelworkers.
The last time Driver Examiners went on strike was in 2002 when they were still Ontario Government employees. The 2002 strike lasted eight weeks.
The Province of Ontario has made several arrangements to reduce the public impact, including extending the expiry date of any licenses that require a test for renewal.
DriveTest has also created temporary processes to allow some commercial drivers who have been trained by their employer under the Driver Certification Program to have their license upgrades processed during the strike. “This has been particularly helpful for School Bus companies who are preparing for the start of the school year,” noted Dalglish.
DriveTest’s Call Centre and website remains open so customers can continue to book tests in advance of an end to the strike. People with questions can also go to
www.DriveTest.ca for answers to frequently asked questions.
