Fight to keep GO refurbishment contract at the ONR continues

CAW Local 103
News Release

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CAW Local 103 announced today that it will be placing ads in the Toronto Star newspaper the country’s largest circulated paper in continuance of the multi stakeholder campaign to have the Ontario Government reverse the Metrolinx boards decision to award the GO Transit Rail Coach Refurbishment contract to Canadian Allied Diesel (CAD) of Montreal.

“We believe it is the next step in our long term campaign to overturn the Metrolinx decision to build support in the Greater Toronto area”, said CAW Local 103 President Brian Kelly.

“Once people are informed of the facts surrounding the awarding of the contract to CAD instead of Ontario Northland people are fully supportive and will contact Premier McGuinty’s office to tell him to reverse this decision”, continued Kelly.

Metrolinx announced on July 14, 2011 that they would be awarding a $120M refurbishing contract to CAD rail located in Montreal PQ solely on the “lowest price” basis. It has since been disclosed by Metrolinx that they awarded the contract without even viewing the site to determine if CAD has the physical capacity or even the skills necessary to perform the work.

“Everyone is in this for the long haul, the support we have received throughout the entire North has been incredible and we will continue to work with the communities, chamber of commerce’s and the public at large to press the Premier to award the Ontario Northland this contract. This is not over”, concluded Kelly.

The CAW Local 103 represents clerical, stores, rail and bus maintenance, on-board service, Cochrane Station Inn employees, customer service clerks, crew management center and express employees in North Bay, New Liskeard, Englehart, Kirkland Lake, Rouyn PQ, Cochrane, Timmins, Hearst and Moosonee at Ontario Northland.

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