‘We’re tired. We’re frustrated:’ Friday deadline looms for possible TTC strike

Toronto transit workers are headed for a strike Friday unless negotiations on key contract issues change drastically, their union president said Wednesday, while the transit agency said it remains optimistic a deal can be worked out.

Contract talks between the Toronto Transit Commission and the largest union of city transit workers are careening toward a strike deadline of Friday just past 12 a.m., raising the prospect of the first Toronto transit strike since 2008.

ATU Local 113 president Marvin Alfred said the two sides were at an “impasse” Wednesday and suggested the union’s nearly 12,000 members were moving toward a strike.

“Unless some things change drastically regarding some of our core issues … we’ll be going on strike Friday,” he said, speaking from a downtown Toronto hotel where talks were taking place.

A strike could bring Canada’s most populous city to a grinding halt, upending travel plans for tens of thousands of commuters who depend on its subways, streetcars and buses.

Alfred said the union’s main sticking points in negotiations include wages, benefits, and a number of job security issues. The union wants protections against contracting jobs out to third parties and from cross-boundary service getting handed over to other Greater Toronto Area transit operators.

“We’re tired. We’re frustrated. We’re pissed that this is taking so long to get this deal done,” he said. “This is not a matter of going to the wire if you want me to be truthful.”

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the transit agency was optimistic a deal could be worked out ahead of Friday’s deadline, but said it was “likely to go down to the wire.”

“We do think that there’s enough goodwill at the table that we can reach an agreement that reaches a balance that’s fair. That respects the work that our union members do, which is very challenging, front-line important work, but also something that’s affordable for the City of Toronto,” he said.

TTC chair Jamaal Myers echoed that optimism, saying both sides remain at the bargaining table and he believes there is a path to a deal.

“This is just the normal cadence of negotiating, we expect this to go right up until the deadline maybe even a few hours past but in the end, we expect to get a deal,” he said while adding that everyone should have a “plan b” in place.

Neither side offered specifics on any terms proposed in negotiations. The two sides have agreed to continue operating Wheel-Trans, the city’s paratransit service for people with disabilities, if there is job action.

A more than decade-long strike ban on TTC workers was recently lifted after a judge found a provincial law that labelled them essential workers was unconstitutional. Last month, the Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed an appeal brought by the province and upheld the workers’ right to strike.

Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he wanted a TTC strike avoided “at all costs.” Asked if he would bring in legislation, he said, “let’s first hope and pray that they don’t go on strike.”

The last strike in 2008 ended after less than two days when the provincial government held a special weekend sitting to legislate the union members back to work. Several other ATU Local 113 job actions, including a record 23-day strike in 1970 and a 45-day work-to-rule campaign in 1989, have ended with legislation.

Myers would not comment specifically on back-to-work legislation but noted the importance of the transit service to the city.

“The TTC is an essential service in terms of it’s essential for how many people happen to get around the city, how businesses get customers and employees, from that perspective it’s essential but I’m not going to get into the legal technicalities at this point.”

Beck, a Toronto taxi company, said it would operate at full capacity Friday, but could not guarantee wait times. A spokesperson also said that although the city has given the company the power to surcharge, it had committed to not using the practice.

A spokesperson for Uber said it would offer incentives to drivers to try to increase trip availability and recommend customers use its group ride feature. The company said it would also cap surge pricing, the multiplier it adds to fares when there are more ride requests than Uber drivers.

Both the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board say there are no plans to close schools on Friday and parents and students should explore alternate methods of transportation including carpooling, biking and/or walking in order to get to school.

“All TDSB elementary schools have a PA Day on Friday, June 7 and students will not be attending class. However, all secondary schools will remain open, as it is a regular school day,” the TDSB said in a letter sent home to parents. “Travelling to and from school may be a challenge for some, so we would ask students and families to please plan accordingly and leave enough time to arrive on time.”

The TDSB says busing for secondary students will continue as usual on Friday but students and families should expect delays.

The TCDSB also confirmed that its high schools will be open as usual on Friday while calling on students and families to plan for possible service disruption and take into account additional travel times.