The city initiated the "spare board rules" during our last strike to try and save them money. It backfired, and they want to take it back. The 97 agreement... It's amazing how much we have given up since then. The following news article is from the Ottawa Citizen web site at > http://www.ottawacitizen.com/online/1996/dec17/cit/cit5/cit5.html > gives details about the ending of the OC Transpo strike. > Tuesday, December 17, 1996 > Buses set to roll on Thursday > Deal highlights > Wages: Pay increase of two per cent in 1998 and 1.3 per cent in 1999. > Buyouts, bonuses: $1.8-million surplus in benefits fund gives all > members $300 signing bonus. Balance used for early retirement incentive > to eligible employees. > Work Bus: Free bus service bringing employees to and from work outside > normal hours remains. > Spare Board: Changes to the system of allocating replacement and > reduced-hours work to drivers will save overtime costs. > Coffee break bonus: As begun in September, drivers will get extra 45 > cents an hour in lieu of missed breaks. Union wanted a return to yearly > bonuses of about $1,200. > Callbacks: 49 employees laid off this year will have first priority for > new jobs over the next five years. > Contracting out: OC Transpo can't contract out work if it means the loss > of a union job. > Insurance carrier: Joint union/management committee will choose the > insurance carrier for benefits. Management wanted sole discretion. > Dry cleaning: Drivers lose choice. Cleaning will be done through one firm, > for savings of $150,000. > OC Transpo, most strikers support deal