TORONTO –- Ontario commercial drivers waiting for the strike to end at the province’s 93 DriveTest sites will have to just keep on waiting.

An offer Wednesday from the union representing the 500 DriveTest staffers failed to get buy-in from both the government or the private company which runs the centers, Toronto media reported. 

The province contracted out driver testing to DriveTest and Serco DES Inc. in 2003.

At a rally at Queen’s Park, the United Steelworkers (USW) announced that the workers offered to resume some services; specifically vision tests and written tests, even before the two sides reach an agreement.

Wednesday, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley denied the request.

Ironically, the managing director of DriveTest Paul Dalglish, says the union rejected an earlier company proposal to conduct rotating strikes.

"This," said Dalglish, "would continue to keep pressure on both parties to come to the table and reach an agreement while reducing the strike’s impact on the public and employees. These proposals were all rejected by the union."

DriveTest workers went on strike Aug. 21. The key issue is job security.

The strike affects novice drivers, drivers who must re-rewrite their commercial vehicle licenses or over-65 truck drivers, who have to perform on-road retests as well.

Expired licenses have been extended by the Ministry and the MTO has also issued notices to the Canadian Border Services stating that FAST-card holders whose permits have expired should be granted an exception and not interfered with.