The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113, which represents nearly 11,000 public transit workers in Toronto, released the following statement regarding the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision to grant former union head Bob Kinnear an injunction over the trusteeship of Local 113.

Statement by Manny Sforza, International Vice-President, ATU Local 113:

“It’s a sad day for all workers in our city. The court’s decision to reinstate Bob Kinnear undermines a long history of union democracy in the province. As Bob Kinnear seeks to exert total control over the 95 per cent of elected local officers who he admitted to deceiving, Local 113 members and the issues they care about will suffer.

Local 113 has clear and convincing evidence Bob Kinnear was involved in a conspiracy, along with Jerry Dias from Unifor, to deceive the members of Local 113. This is an empire building exercise by Bob Kinnear and Jerry Dias and has nothing to do with the interests of public transit workers in Toronto.

Local 113 will not be sold to the auto workers by Bob Kinnear or anyone else.

In recent weeks, ATU received overwhelming support from the vast majority of Local 113’s elected officers, stewards and union members. ATU is dedicated solely to transit workers and we will continue to fight in the best interest of the hardworking women and men who move Toronto.”

Emotional pleas to protect bus drivers from “heinous attacks” echoed through Winnipeg’s City Hall courtyard on Friday as hundreds of transit workers rallied in the wake of this week’s fatal stabbing of Irvine Jubal Fraser, 58.

The workers and union representatives demanded all levels of government immediately begin making buses safer for drivers and the public.

“Let us not have Brother Fraser’s murder be in vain,” said Amalgamated Transit Union Canada president Paul Thorp, calling for changes to bus designs.

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Yesterday in the House of Commons Kevin Lamoureux MP for Winnipeg North made the following statement, the video is also on his Facebook.

Mr. Speaker, it is with heavy heart that I rise today in recognition of Irvine Fraser, better known as “Jubal”.

Irvine was a Winnipeg Transit bus driver who passed away because of an incident on his bus.

It is important for us to recognize that transit bus workers across our great nation extend their sympathy to the family and friends of Irvine. The fact is that every day in Canada we have buses going through our municipalities, opening their doors, and ensuring we have the best quality public transportation system in the world.

It is with a heavy heart that I extend my personal condolences, as well as condolences on behalf of my colleagues, to the family and friends of Irvine, and to the many others who have been so affected by this most recent tragedy.

A deadly attack on a Winnipeg bus driver as well as an assault on an Okanagan bus operator have renewed calls for improved safety measures to protect transit drivers.

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