TTC and union announce tentative deal to avert strike as FIFA World Cup approaches

TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission and a union that represents about 700 electrical, communications and signals workers say they’ve reached a tentative labour agreement.

The TTC and CUPE Local 2 made the announcement in a statement on Monday afternoon.

It comes after a deadline for job action, which had already been extended once at 12 a.m. Saturday, passed on Saturday evening without a settlement.

At that time, both sides said they would keep talks going.

Mandeep S. Lali, the TTC’s CEO, says in the statement that since the agreement still needs to be ratified by the union’s membership and the TTC board, further details aren’t being shared now.

But he refers to it as a “one-year bridge deal” which he says provides the stability the TTC needs to continue delivering service today, and world-class service during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“The agreement recognizes the important work of the more than 700 skilled tradespeople represented by CUPE Local 2 and assists them in being aligned with industry standards,” Lali said.

“From the outset, our priority has been to reach an agreement that is fair to employees, aligned with comparable industry contracts, and is affordable for customers, as well as the City and its taxpayers.”

CUPE Local 2 president Sumit Guleria said in a statement that the union is proud of what members achieved at the bargaining table and is grateful for support it received from riders and the public.

“This collective agreement reflects the hard work and solidarity of nearly 700 skilled workers who keep Toronto’s transit system running every day,” Guleria said.

The union’s statement also noted that details of the agreement wouldn’t be shared publicly at this time.

The tentative deal comes as Toronto is ramping up preparations to host several games in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to pour in for the international tournament.

A strike would not require the TTC to shut down, a media spokesperson has said, adding that contingency plans existed to use managers and supervisors.

CUPE Local 2 said in its statement on Monday that the TTC had previously advised the union it intended to lock out members if a deal was not reached by May 16.

Talks between CUPE Local 2 and the TTC stalled about a month after the union said bargaining began.

The transit agency requested and received a no-board report from the Ministry of Labour late last month, setting up a 17-day countdown for legal job action.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press