Bill 3 explained in plain English
York Region Transit Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The York Region Transit Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011, ends current labour disputes and prohibits future strikes or lock-outs for York Region transit workers, mandating arbitration to resolve any outstanding collective bargaining issues.
This Ontario Act, the York Region Transit Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011, aims to end current labour disputes and prevent future ones for public transit services in York Region. It requires any ongoing strikes or lock-outs to end immediately upon the Act receiving Royal Assent. It prohibits strikes and lock-outs for these transit employees and employers going forward. Instead, if negotiations fail, a dispute resolution process involving arbitration will be used to reach a collective agreement. The Act specifies how arbitrators are appointed, the procedures they follow, and the criteria they must consider when making decisions. It also addresses how collective agreements are finalized and filed. A review of the Act is mandated within one year of its fifth anniversary.
- Requires the immediate termination of any existing strike or lock-out involving three specific public transit companies serving York Region and their employees' bargaining agents.
- Prohibits strikes and lock-outs for these transit employers and employees.
- Establishes arbitration as the mandatory mechanism for resolving labour disputes if negotiations between the transit companies and their bargaining agents do not result in a collective agreement.
- Outlines the process for appointing arbitrators, including timelines and potential appointment by the Minister of Labour if parties fail to agree.
- Specifies that arbitration processes will follow procedures determined by the arbitrator, with certain criteria to be considered, such as the employer's ability to pay and the economic situation.
- Requires collective agreements to be finalized based on the arbitrator's award or mutual agreement, and mandates the filing of awards with the Minister.
- Includes provisions for the delegation of powers by the Minister and for the review of the Act's operation within five years of its commencement.
- Ensures that terms and conditions of employment remain in place if a collective agreement expires before a new one is reached or an arbitration award is made.
- Three specific companies providing public transit services to The Regional Municipality of York (First Student Canada; Miller Transit, Ltd.; and (York BRT, VIVA) Veolia Transportation, Inc.)
- Bargaining agents representing employees of these three companies.
- Employees of these three companies.
- The Minister of Labour
- The Regional Municipality of York
- Employers and bargaining agents must terminate any existing strikes or lock-outs immediately upon the Act receiving Royal Assent.
- Strikes and lock-outs are prohibited for the specified transit employers and employees.
- Parties are required to participate in arbitration if they cannot reach a collective agreement through negotiation.
- An arbitrator has the power to decide all matters in dispute to conclude a collective agreement.
- An arbitrator must consider specific criteria when making decisions, including the employer's ability to pay and the economic situation.
- The employer and employees must maintain existing terms and conditions of employment if a collective agreement expires before a new one is reached or an arbitration award is made.
- Parties are encouraged to continue negotiating to reach a collective agreement even during arbitration proceedings.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Arbitration proceedings must commence within 30 days after the arbitrator is appointed.
- An arbitrator must give an award within 90 days after being appointed, unless the parties agree to an extension.
- A review of the Act is to be initiated within one year following the fifth anniversary of its coming into force.
- Each party (employer and bargaining agent) must pay one-half of the arbitrator's remuneration and expenses.
- Strikes or lock-outs that contravene the Act are deemed unlawful strikes or lock-outs for the purposes of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, which may carry penalties under that Act. The text of the bill does not specify the exact penalties.
- The specific penalties for violating the prohibition on strikes and lock-outs are not detailed within this Act, referencing the Labour Relations Act, 1995 for such determinations.
- The bill does not specify the exact date of Royal Assent, only that it comes into force on that day.
- While the Act outlines criteria for arbitration, the arbitrator has discretion in how they are applied.
- The bill relies on the Labour Relations Act, 1995 for definitions of certain terms and for enforcement mechanisms related to unlawful strikes/lock-outs.
Certain sections of this Act related to strikes, lock-outs, and arbitration are modified or rendered inapplicable by this new Act for the specified transit employers and employees. For example, sections related to lawful strikes and lock-outs are superseded, and specific provisions about notice periods and conciliation are also affected.
Source: Sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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