PC MPP calls on McGuinty Liberals to pass his back-to-work bill

Mr. Jim Wilson (Simcoe-Grey): I rise to urge members of this House to support my bill to end the 14-week old DriveTest strike that has affected over 370,000 people so far, and thousands more with each passing day.

Since I introduced the bill, my office has been flooded with calls and e-mails from people across the province concerned with the effects this strike is having on their livelihood. One of those people is Nancy Wilder, whose daughter is forced to pay $20 for each day the strike continues in travel expenses, just to get to college and to her part-time job. She wrote: “Something must be done. In light of the economic times, a strike is not in the best interest of anyone.”

Diane Hodges, who operates driver education centres in St. Thomas, Aylmer and Tillsonburg, writes: “Findley’s Driver Education has been in business for over 35 years. I have now worked here for 30 years, and took over the ownership three years ago. I have never seen business so bad. Our enrolment is the lowest it has been in years. I really don’t know how much longer we can stay in business if there isn’t a turn-around by Christmas.”

Even Aurora DriveTest examiner David Sepejak said in the York region news: “I can’t speak for the whole union, but I get the feeling everyone is getting ready to get back to work.”

It’s time for the government to step in and help the struggling small businesses, their employees, students, truck drivers and those who need to see this strike ended in order to pay their bills and keep their jobs, or in fact get a job in the first place.

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