Competing executives continue their struggle for control of the taxi drivers' union, leaving employers confused and frustrated.

Managers of Blue Line and Hamilton Cab say they're waiting for their lawyers to tell them which group really leads the union.

"I'm not sure who we should be dealing with," said Anthony Rizzutto, of Blue Line. "I don't know who's what because there's a lot of fighting going on."

At Hamilton Cab, president Jagtar Singh Chalal said he will wait for the Ontario Labour Relations Board to settle the dispute, but he personally thinks the Ejaz Butt camp has more support among rank and file union members.

"I think the other party lacks real support among the members," he said. "Ejaz may not be perfect, but I think he is more mature than the other party. I don't think the other group has the support of even five drivers, but we'll deal with whoever the labour board tells us to."

The Ontario Taxi Workers Union has been in turmoil since early August after founding president Ejaz Butt declared the board of directors dissolved. The board, in turn, declared Butt impeached and expelled from the union. A few days later Butt declared himself and a new executive elected by acclamation.

Now both groups claim a mandate to negotiate with their employers.

"We are meeting on the things that are really important to our industry," said Jamie MacArthur, general secretary of the established board. "We are meeting aggressively to get back on track on those issues and Ejaz Butt and his claims, at this time, are just a distraction. We really don't give a lot of weight to Ejaz right now."

For his part, Butt said he will call a membership meeting this month to appoint new negotiating committees to bargain first contracts with the taxi companies, something he says the other board can't accomplish.

"I don't think the companies will negotiate with them, but even if they do get an agreement they don't have the support to get it ratified," he said. "I still enjoy the majority support of the members."

He has also sent letters to MacArthur and competing president Ali Naimpoor threatening to sue for libel unless statements to which he objects are removed from the union website and he is paid $100,000 for damage to his reputation.

Unless the competing executives find a way to settle their dispute, it will fall to the Ontario Labour Relations Board or a civil court to make a decision.

Voy Stelmaszynski, solicitor for the OLRB, said the board would look to the union's constitution to decide which side has legitimate authority.

Stelmaszynski said such internal fights aren't common in Ontario unions, but they do happen and are difficult to settle peacefully.

"The taxi workers aren't alone in this schism," he said. "It often takes years and a change in personnel for there to be peace."

Another labour expert warns this kind of infighting could spell the end of the union.

"Ordinarily this kind of dispute at the executive level of a union can be fatal," said Michael Lynk, of Western University law school. "It just doesn't inspire confidence in a union when the leadership is divided like that."

One way to settle such a fight is for an older, larger union with experience in handling internal politics to step in and offer advice or even to take the fledgling union in as an affiliate.

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The taxi workers already have such an arrangement with the United Steelworkers. Under a service agreement the senior union offers advice on collective bargaining, legal questions and offers financial support until the new union's members start paying dues.

Under that agreement the Steelworkers compensated members of the taxi union negotiating committee for wages lost while on union business. USW officials have said the money was paid directly to union bargainers because the taxi union doesn't have a Canada Revenue Agency registration number allowing it to deduct and submit income tax, EI and CPP levies or to make employer contributions.

Butt says those payments should have been made through OTWU.