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Sep 18, 2011
Sunday Statshot

Sunday Morning Statshot with Nick Chu: Transit Strikes

Post by nickchu

Bonus/ransom (depending on your perspective) paid to Tube employees to avoid a similar 2008 strike (pictured above) during 2012 Olympics: £1800. Image by Flickr user C. G. P. Grey.

With an impending GO Transit strike in the near horizon, let’s take a quick look back at some of the more memorable public transit strikes in recent times:

Last transit walkout in nation’s capital (Ottawa): 2009

Days lasted: 51

Payroll savings: $3 million/day

Economic losses: $4 million/day

Property damage losses due to seriously irate commuters in 2010 Bogota transit strike: $400,000

Economic losses due to 2007 London Tube strike: $100 million/day

Economic losses due to 2005 New York transit strike: $400 million/day

Penalties: 2 days pay per day spent picketing

Cost of fine imposed on union: $2.5 million

Days in jail for union leader Roger Toussaint: 10

Legality of transit strikes in New York: Illegal – under Taylor’s Law (1967)

Legality of transit strikes in London: Legal – under democratic right to industrial action

Legality of transit strikes (as of March 2011): Illegal – under “essential services” rules

Definition of “essential services” job: Needed to protect human health (doctors, police, firefighters)

TTC bus drivers: Essential service

Ambulance drivers: Non-essential service

Effects of 2008 Toronto transit strike: $50 million loss in productivity per day

Effects of 2006 Los Angeles transit strike: 20% decrease in traffic speeds, 200% increase in rush hour traffic time

Effects of 1976 Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) transit strike: Not much (relatively mild)

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