Bargaining is expected to continue over the weekend between the TTC and one of its unions, but a strike is possible Monday morning if the sides don’t come to an agreement.
“While I remain optimistic we can reach an agreement at the table that prevents a strike, we also need to be honest and let our employees know there could be job action next week that impacts their work,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary in a statement on Friday. “In addition, we need to let our customers know that there could be impacts to their TTC trips.”Â
CUPE Local 2, which represents about 700 electrical and trades workers, is in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Monday. Local president Sumit Guleria has said the last few months of bargaining have focused on “equitable wages.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“Our goal is to reach a mutually acceptable deal before Monday,” said Guleria in a statement Friday. “However, should the TTC fail to present us with an offer that meets our reasonable expectations, our union is prepared to take necessary action.”
Should there be a strike it would be the first in more than a decade by unionized TTC employees. A 2023 court ruling overturned a law banning TTC workers from striking.
The potential impact on TTC service from a strike by the workers responsible for keeping transit infrastructure safe is unclear.
The TTC is also in negotiations with its largest union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents about 12,000 transit workers, from bus drivers to maintenance staff. Earlier this week, the union said it was taking the first step toward strike action by requesting the Ministry of Labour appoint a conciliator.
On Friday the union confirmed it is organizing a membership strike vote.
“While we are not yet in a legal strike position and will continue to serve the public, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Local 2 and will support them within the law in any way that we can,” said spokesperson Stephanie Gomes in a statement Friday.Â
Speaking to reporters at an unrelated press conference, Mayor Olivia Chow said that in both cases she was “hopeful” the two sides will reach an agreement.Â
“I respect the workers’ right to negotiate,” she said.Â
“And we both, whether it’s the union or management, both have the same goal, which is having a public transit system that’s reliable, affordable, convenient and safe. So I think we can achieve those goals together.”
With files from Ben Spurr
Alyshah
Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and
municipal politics for the Star. Reach her via email: ahasham@thestar.ca or follow her on
Twitter: @alysanmati.
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