Bombardier moves TTC cars through Thunder Bay picket line

Almost one month into a strike by 900 Unifor workers at Bombardier's Thunder Bay, Ont., plant, the company moved threeToronto Transit Commissionsubway cars throughthe picket line on Tuesday for delivery to Toronto.

The first two cars were shipped out onTuesday morning and a third in the afternoon.

"It's a very sad day for the plant," said Unifor local president Dominic Pasqualino. "It's the first [transit] car in history that's been built by management that's leaving the plant."

Striking workers on the picket linesaid union members had completed most of the work on the cars before they went on strike, but managers finished them.

A spokeswoman for Bombardier had told CBC News previouslythe company is trying to ship as many Rocket subway cars and streetcars to Toronto as it can.

Striking worker Brenda Gerry told CBC News,"I just want people down in Toronto to not ride these vehicles and I also want the people of Thunder Bay to stand behind us and support us. [I]just want to get back to work sooner rather than later."

'Blatant disregard' of court order

More than 100 Unifor workers watched as flatbed trucks carried the subway cars out of the plant. The majority were relatively quiet and Pasqualino said they were obeying a revised court order issued Fridaygoverning behaviour on the picket line.

A Thunder Bay police officer intervened when some workers blocked the second truck after it turned onto Montreal Street. The truck started moving again, but with workers walking slowly in front of it.

Bombardier spokeswoman Stephanie Ash said that was unacceptable and showed a "blatant disregard"for the court order.

"Thatcar was delayed for 30 minutes, which is completely over and above the five-minute maximum wait time [in the court order]," she said.

Ash said the first car had moved out more smoothly, with a delay of about 10 minutes. But she said delays weren't the only issue.

"Members were cutting across in front of the transport truck," she said. "This is really dangerous behaviour. We're just really happy that noone was injured today."

Bombardier to seek injunction

Ash also said the company had videoevidence of workers using foullanguage and "verbal harassment towards the police as well as the drivers of the vehicles."

As a result, Ash said, Bombardier will head back to courtto seek an injunction against the striking workers.

That will be the company's third request for an injunction. Two previous judges have issued court orders to enforce picket line rules, but have not gone as far as an injunction.

Ash said the company told Unifor at the negotiating table that it would continue to buildproducts if workers went on strike.

"We have contractual commitments to our customers at the TTCand the whole focus is about minimizing that disruption on the customers," she said.

In an email to CBC News later in the day,Ash said athird subway car hadshipped out on Tuesday afternoon "without incident."

Both the union and the company said they want to get everyone back to work, but there's no sign thatnegotiations will resume.