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JUST IN: TTC Workers Could Go on Strike at Midnight on Monday If Deal Not Reached

TTC Workers Could Go on Strike at Midnight on Monday

With a few hours left to the official decision, TTC workers could go on strike at Midnight on Monday, according to reports.

The clock is ticking down on the final few hours of negotiations between the TTC and union members representing approximately 650 communications, electrical, and signal employees.

After months of fruitless contract negotiations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – Local 2 is preparing to strike on Monday at 12:01 a.m. if a settlement is not struck.

Since March 2022, the workers have been without a collective agreement. They voted 99.3 percent in favor of a strike mandate in February, following numerous rounds of bargaining.

The TTC and the union continued to meet over the weekend in an attempt to reach an agreement.

“Our services are vital to public safety and immediately affect customer well-being. Fair recognition and respect of our members’ unique contributions is critical.”

If a settlement is not struck, service delays may occur, according to a statement issued by the city’s transit agency on April 19.
“While I remain confident that we can achieve an agreement at the table that avoids a strike, we must also be honest and inform our employees that there may be job action next week that affects their work. Furthermore, we must inform our customers that there may be disruptions to their TTC excursions,” wrote TTC CEO Rick Leary, who did not explain on how service could be affected.

He went on to say that the conversations had been “productive and professional,” and that he is “pleased that we are still at the table.”

“However, I believe the mandate our Board has approved and our offers within that mandate are fair to the workers and affordable for the TTC, and we will continue to negotiate in good faith,” Leary said in a prepared statement.

A CUPE spokeswoman told CP24.com that negotiating is currently underway, and both parties have agreed not to comment until midnight.

On Sunday afternoon, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow spoke to media about the possibility of a TTC worker strike.

“Of course, the workers have the right to bargain, and what I believe is that they are talking today.”

If a strike occurs, it will be the first time that unionized TTC employees have walked off the job in nearly 13 years, following a court decision last year that overturned Ontario’s designation of the TTC as an essential service.