Nearly 100 Union Station workers in Toronto walk off job, no train delays as of yet

Commuters were concerned about possible service disruptions in the coming days at Toronto’s Union Station on Wednesday after nearly 100 employees at Canada’s busiest transit hub walked off the job.

The 95 employees of Toronto Terminals Railway (TTR) went on strike as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. The workers are mainly responsible for signals and communication maintenance as well as train control at the Union Station rail corridor.

Despite the strike, GO Transit and UP Express trains arrived on time Wednesday morning.

“The workers for TTR did go on strike as of midnight, unfortunately,” said Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins.

“We hope it’s a short strike but we have no idea of how negotiations are going. In the meantime, we have a contingency plan and that plan will hopefully make it so riders don’t notice the strike.”

Sarah Cowin said there was no delay during her commute to downtown Toronto. She took the GO train from Whitby, Ont., to Union Station.

But she said she was concerned the strike could have an impact on her commute in the next few days.

Cowin said she works as a nurse for the Ontario Nurses Association, and she supports the striking workers even if the strike causes delays.

“It will probably become an issue, but you know what I’m a union worker too, so (I) support them 100 per cent of the way,” she said.

Jaime Salazar said his train also arrived at Union Station on time. He took the GO train from Meadowvale Station in Mississauga, Ont., to downtown Toronto.

Salazar said he always tries to leave home early to avoid being late to work and he will continue doing that during the strike.

“I always come earlier just to avoid any delays or anything … even if it’s late by maybe let’s say 10 minutes or 15 minutes, I will be fine,” he said.

There has been no service disruptions as of Wednesday morning and Aikins says she is hopeful that impacts to GO and UP Express service will be limited despite the temporary loss of several critical jobs. She says Metrolinx will communicate with customers frequently to keep them updated on any delays or cancellations.

Ahead of the strike on Tuesday, Aikins predicted that passengers could face 10 to 15 minute delays and several train trips during the morning and afternoon peaks could be cancelled.

A commuter walks through Union Station in Toronto, on April 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Yader Guzman

The striking employees are responsible for signals and communication maintenance at the station. They also handle train control at the Union Station rail corridor.

“These jobs are must-haves, they have to be replaced,” said Aikins. “We look at our management staff, our supervisors within Metrolinx and the TTR staff, who is trained in those functions and who has done them before.”

Toronto mayor John Tory says he is concerned about the timing of the strike as the city works to welcome passengers back to transit after two years of the pandemic.

“I’m sure the supervisors can try and keep things going and keep the trains running on time,” said Tory speaking to Breakfast Television on Wednesday morning. “I would hope they can resume negotiations.”

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• Metrolinx prepared for busier commute as many big companies return to office

The workers are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union and have been without a contract since December 2019. TTR says wages have been a contentious point during the negotiations.

The union is accusing the company if failing to negotiate seriously.

“With no real value added to the previous memorandum of settlement that was voted down, we were left with no choice but to commence a legal work stoppage,” said the union’s Senior General Chairman Steven Martin in a statement. “The Union remains committed to working with the Company to reach a fair and reasonable settlement.”

Aikins says the two sides are hoping to return to the bargaining table soon but could not provide a timeline.

The strike is not expected to affect TTC subway service in any way.

Union Station is Canada’s busiest passenger transportation hub, with approximately 200,000 GO Train commuters passing through the station each day.

With files from The Canadian Press