TTC workers move one step closer to strike action as union requests ‘no-board’ report

The union representing 12,000 TTC workers has requested a no-board report from the Ministry of Labour, putting them one step closer to a strike.

In a release, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113 said no progress has been made on key issues related to job security, wages and benefits.

The union said it has been working with a conciliator and TTC management since one was appointed by the ministry on April 15.

“We have been at the bargaining table since early February,” Marvin Alfred, president of ATU Local 113, stated in a release. “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.”

A legal strike could begin 17 days after a no-board report has been issued.

Councillor Jamaal Myers, who chairs the TTC board, said a strike would likely result in delays or cancellations for riders.

“I have been assured by the TTC that regular updates for customers, including up-to-date service alerts and route information, will be readily available,” Myers said in a statement.

“As a TTC rider myself, I understand personally how devastating these job actions will be for our customers and I apologize and empathize with the inconvenience and hardship this will inevitably cause.”

The union said its collective agreement expired on March 31, 2024.

In April, the 12,000 workers who operate and maintain the TTC voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of a strike mandate.

At the time, the union said if no progress was made at the bargaining table, it has no choice but to proceed with strike action.

“Our members are clearly angry and upset about how they have been treated at work. We are proud of our work and know the value of our work. We have the right to protect our future and are ready to fight for job security,” a spokesperson for ATU Local 113 wrote in a statement in April.

If no agreement is reached, it will be the first time in 10 years that the union can exercise their right to strike after a 2023 court ruling restored TTC workers’ right to do so. The last time ATU Local 113 members went on strike was in 2008.

Last week, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2, which represents more than 650 electrical and trades workers, reached a tentative agreement with the TTC to avoid a labour dispute.

The latest update comes as the TTC board meets on Thursday to discuss various issues including the 12-hour subway service shutdown on a portion of Line 2 on Monday following a hydraulic spill.

With files from Meredith Bond and Lucas Casaletto, CityNews