Some TTC workers may go on strike for the first time in 13 years

Negotiations continue this week after about 650 communications, electrical and signaling workers at the TTC voted on a strike mandate.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2 announced last week that 99.3 per cent of its members voted for a strike mandate on February 8.

The union said the move meant workers could go on strike “if necessary to bring the TTC back to the bargaining table.”

It said the workers were seeking a contract offer because of rising living costs and the fact that “workers have not had a freely negotiated contract for more than a decade.” They also said they would like to see the concession list scrapped.

88 percent of local 661 workers participated in the vote, the union said.

“We love working for the TTC. We support public transport. But at the same time, the cost of living in Toronto has skyrocketed,” CUPE Local 2 president Sumit Guleria said in a statement. “The reality is that we are bleeding workers because other employers are offering substantially better wages.”

He added that CUPE Local 2 workers are “taken for granted and treated with disrespect by management.”

Workers will work without a contract from March 2022.

It's the first time unionized TTC workers have been able to go to work in nearly 13 years thanks to a court ruling last year that struck down the province's designation of the TTC as an essential service.

TTC CEO Rick Leary said in a statement that despite the strike mandate, negotiations are continuing and contingency plans are in place.

“Our contingency plans allow us to provide as many services as possible while protecting the rights of this group of employees,” Leary said. “The plans also take into account the ability of other employees to carry out their work during work breaks and how we accommodate them.”

The TTC employs approximately 17,000 people. Leary said that while there are plans in place in the event of a strike, service could be affected.

“My primary commitment is to the safety of our employees and customers and to provide uncompromised reliable service. However, I believe that any work action could affect the TTC's ability to provide continued service,” Leary said.

The TTC Board agreed to a negotiating mandate last November, and negotiations are ongoing.

“We are committed to achieving a fair deal for Local 2 employees while being affordable for Toronto taxpayers,” Leary said.

Both sides described the other side as having the decision to strike in their own hands.