From: "Under Pressure Collective" <info_-at-_upcollective.org>
To: nowar_-at-_list.nowar-paix.ca
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 17:56:04 -0400 (EDT)
CAN'T AFFORD THE FARE: Ongoing Meetings and Discussion on the Prospects for an Ottawa Bus Riders Union ================================ 7:00pm Tuesday, May 30th, 2006 Ottawa District Labour Council Boardroom 5th Floor, 280 Metcalfe (at Gilmour) Ottawa FREE ================================ Groups and individuals interested in forming an Ottawa Bus or Transit Riders’ Union will meet to discuss the possibility of forming a local bus riders union to fight for the rights of transit users in our city. Everyone is invited to join the discussion and the fight. This is part of an ongoing series of meetings intended to formulate the structure, principles and priorities of the Transit Riders’ Union. The first meeting on May 10 began the discussion as to what problems exist with bus service in Ottawa, and possible solutions to those problems. It also allowed us to sketch some possible guidelines on which the bus riders’ union would be based:  Strive to represent all bus riders  To be an organization that is multi-lingual  To organize in a way that opposses racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heterosexism and all other forms of oppression and domination. And also some core demands:  OC Transpo and City Council must be accountable and transparent.  Accessibility  Safe, reliable and affordable public transit  Work to increase ridership  Prioritize transit dependent people  Environmentally friendly  End OC transpo practices that are oppressive (End transit racism. End transit sexism.) The priorities/agenda for the meeting on the 30th will be:  Creating a basis of unity and mission statement for the BRU  Formulating some initial demands  Establishing what needs to be done in order to make the BRU work (research, outreach, actions, and so on) ================================ 7:00pm Tuesday, May 30th, 2006 Ottawa District Labour Council Boardroom 5th Floor, 280 Metcalfe (at Gilmour) Ottawa FREE ================================ WHY A BUS RIDERS UNION? Ottawa's public transit system is increasingly becoming unaffordable, unavailable, and unreliable. In 2005, Ottawa's transit users were subjected to two fare hikes in a five-month period, resulting in the highest fares in Canada. Ottawa City Council has announced its intention to raise fares by 7.5% each year through to 2010. While riders are paying more and more, the service that they're paying for is being reduced. OC Transpo is a popular target for councillors looking to ease budget pressures, resulting in fare hikes, reductions in schedule, cuts to bus routes, and privatization of services. THE STRUGGLE IN OTHER CITIES The struggle for safe, affordable, and reliable public transit is picking up momentum in cities and towns throughout Canada and the U.S. One strategy that has emerged is the formation of "bus riders unions"; groups of transit users who have organized themselves to fight for the services which they depend on. In San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Vancouver, bus riders' unions have won solid gains for transit users, and positioned transit sturggles as part of the broader struggle for social justice. WHAT WOULD A BUS RIDERS UNION LOOK LIKE HERE? Here in Ottawa, the Under Pressure Collective is exploring the options for starting a Bus Riders Union, which would be founded on the premise that affordable, efficient, and environmentally sound mass transit is a human right. Further, Under Pressure is committed to holding paramout at all times the knowledge that the needs of low-income people, and oppressed nationality peoples and communities must be given priority since they suffer systematic racial and national oppression in our society. We hope these vital principles will be reflected in the organizing of any bus riders union, and in the positions any organization might take on transit and social justice issues. FOR MORE INFORMATION 613 786 1881 info@upcollective.org www.upcollective.org _______________________________________________ Nowar mailing list Nowar@list.nowar-paix.ca http://list.nowar-paix.ca/mailman/listinfo/nowar