Friday deadline looms for possible Toronto Transit Commission strike
Written by The Canadian Press on June 5, 2024
TORONTO — The president of a union representing Toronto transit workers says they are headed toward a Friday strike unless talks drastically change on core issues.
A strike could bring transit service in Canada’s most populous city to a grinding halt, upending travel plans for tens of thousands of commuters who depend on its streetcars, subways and buses.
ATU Local 113 president Marvin Alfred says talks are at an impasse, but negotiations continue with the Toronto Transit Commission as the clock ticks down to a deadline just past midnight Friday.
Alfred says the union’s main sticking points include wages, benefits, and a number of job security issues for its nearly 12,000 members.
TTC spokesperson Stuart Green says negotiations are likely to go down to the wire, but they remain optimistic a deal can be worked out before the deadline.
The two sides have agreed to continue operating Wheel-Trans, the city’s paratransit service for people with disabilities, if there is a strike.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2024.
The Canadian Press