A potential TTC strike has many wondering what happens next.
Update: The union representing TTC operators has confirmed they will start their strike on Friday, June. 7, if they do not have a contract.
Travel may soon become an inescapable nightmare in Toronto.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour issued a no-board report for the union representing TTC operators on May. 21, raising the risk of almost 12,000 TTC operators going on strike. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113 requested the no-board report May. 15.
“We were hoping to reach a fair agreement with the employer. The request for a no-board report is our final step towards our union’s ability to legally strike,” Marvin Alfred, president of ATU Local 113, stated in a release.
Their most recent contract expired March 31, 2024.
In their release the union announced no progress had been made on key subjects, including job security, wages, and benefits.
The request for a no-board report is the latest news in these contract negotiations. In late April, the union declared that its membership voted overwhelmingly in support of a strike mandate.
“The overwhelming support for strike action is a clear message to the TTC, the city, and the province, that our membership is ready to act. We are following the direction of our membership.” ATU Local 113 said in a statement.
In a statement Rick Leary, CEO of the TTC, emphasized that no strike deadline has been set at this time and that parties shall spare no efforts in reaching an agreement.
“We know from past experience that job action by ATU Local 113 would almost certainly lead to service disruptions for our customers which is why both sides are focused on reaching a new collective agreement as soon as possible,” Leary said.
The last time TTC operators went on strike was April. 26, 2008.
When this happened, the union chose to forego the 48-hour withdrawal notice, instead announcing that it would happen just 90 minutes prior. The provincial government would end up ordering union members back to work the next day, with transit service resuming the evening of April. 27, 2008.
Stuart Green, Senior Communication Specialist at TTC Media relation, said “we know from past experience, because the last time a TTC strike was 2008. And we know from that experience that if about 11,500 people walks off job there will be no TTC service.”
In 2011, the government of the time passed the Toronto Transit Commission Labor Disputes Resolution Act – or TTC Act. This act took away the worker’s right to strike, while implementing mandatory arbitration.
This was struck down by the Ontario Superior Courts in May 2023, as the legislation was deemed to violate the Charter rights.
Currently, the Student Association is working closely with the college in the event of a transit strike. As of right now there is no information on what their plans may look like to support students, should the city be paralyzed from a lack of transit.
