Crossposted to Transit Toronto.
A wildcat strike has shut down TTC services this morning. Workers have walked off the job in an action linked to concerns about drivers’ safety, but also linked to the management’s decision to move 53 janitorial and maintenance staff permanently to the night shift. The Toronto Star has full details
This job action is not legal, and it was called after indications late Sunday night that no job action was planned. Commuters and TTC officials have been caught by surprise, and a number of people may be stranded today. It will be up to Torontonians to be patient and creative in finding other ways to get where they need to go. GO Transit continues to operate, so that may be an alternative for some. Emergency car pooling may also be a possibility, but for some it may be wise to try to work from home today, or to take the day off, and hope that this job action comes to a quick close.
(Update: 7:52): As TTC workers are in violation of their collective agreement with this job action, the Ontario Labour Board has issued a “cease and desist” order, requiring the employees to return to work. This is only a first step, however, and it is unclear what other steps will have to be taken, or what teeth be provided to the “case and desist” order in order to bring this job action to a close.
Union president Bob Kinnear has countered that this strike isn’t a strike at all, but a lockout. According to him, “They locked the gates and indicated that there would be no service long before our operators had an opprtunity to report to work,”
The best phrase to describe this situation could be mass transit confusion. We extend our sympathies to commuters who are struggling to get to work on this Monday morning, and we hope for a quick resolution. There is every possibility that service may be back in time for the afternoon rush hour. We will keep you posted.
(Update: 10:00): Although transit service still has not resumed, and employees appear to be waiting for a call from the union before they respond, TTC GM Rick Ducharme is hopeful that workers can return to work soon enough to manage the afternoon rush hour. Sources say that it takes three hours to restore the TTC to full service, however, so movement should happen soon if service is to be back to normal by the afternoon rush hour.
(Update: Noon): Hearings being convened at the Ontario Labour Board offices to try and resolve this strike are delayed as union representatives are late in arriving, but hearings are expected to start at 12:30. This may be too late to resume TTC service in time for the afternoon rush hour. Fortunately, one hopes that commuters who were caught by surprise this morning have had enough time to make alternate arrangements.
(Update: 14:41): The Ontario Labour Board has formally ruled that the job action by workers of the ATU 113 local is illegal and has required all TTC workers to return to work. What movement has occurred to that end has been slow, and it is unlikely that full service will resume in time for the afternoon rush hour, although this should mean that full and regular service will operate tonight and tomorrow.
The claims by ATU local president Bob Kinnear that this action was a lockout was disputed by the ATU’s own website which listed the walkout as a “job action” — at least until the page was pulled after the Toronto Star helpfully liked to it. There has been a considerable backlash against the union for this illegal action.
It should be noted that contact information for ATU Local 113 is publicly available here.
(Update: 14:48): It has been announced that the strike is now over and the TTC is working to restore service as soon as possible.
(Update: 16:21): The Toronto Star is reporting that service is resuming and that the Bloor-Danforth subway will be back online at 5 p.m. The Yonge-University-Spadina line will follow shortly thereafter.
(Update: 18:07): The Star is reporting that most buses and streetcars are finally on the roads, but subway trains are still standing idle, with some reports saying that service may not resume until 7 p.m. for the Bloor-Danforth line. TTC Transit Control is blaming pickets that are still up at Wilson Carhouse for continued delays on the Yonge-University-Spadina line, but there is no explanation for the delays to the resumption of service on the Bloor-Danforth line.
(Update: 19:39): Service resumed on the Bloor-Danforth subway line at 6:30 p.m. Service is expected to resume on the Yonge-University-Spadina line between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m., now that pickets that kept Wilson Garage closed were finally removed as of 7:30 p.m.
About the only good news that we have to report this day, other than the fact that service is finally resuming, is that service should be back to normal by tonight, and there should be no disruptions of service for commuters tomorrow.
Mayor Miller has noted that fines and other discipliniary action may be possible as a result of the union’s illegal strike, and its defiance of the Ontario Labour Board’s initial cease and desist order, but it may be a little while before we know what sort of measures might be taken against the union leadership, and it probably depends on how vocal commuters are in their remembrance of this day.
On the other hand, the blogger Transit Rider has sensible advice when he asks that commuters don’t take out their frustrations on individual bus and streetcar drivers, who have little immediate influence on their union’s actions.
as I understand it, the employees that drive the buses are caught in the middle between a managment/union dispute. That said, I do not want any of you taking out your frustrations on operators when they go back to work. They’re caught in the middle and for the most part, quite a few of them are very unhappy with not being able to go to work today and move you and others around the city. I would like to seriously advise each and every transit rider reading this to please not take out your frustrations on a bus operator when they go back to work. They don’t want to be out on strike or locked out or whatever. (link).
It has been a hot day, both physically and metaphorically. What is needed now is for cooler heads to prevail everywhere.
13 comments
Kinnear says it’s a lockout? Good grief. Does he really expect us to believe that? `
There are better ways for the union to make their point. As if the TTC needed anymore bad press. The public has every right to be outraged at these childish actions.
I’m from a union family, was a CAW member for a while back in Windsor when I worked in a factory, and constantly defend the concept of trade unionism when it get (routinely) bashed by (mostly) people who have never worked in a factory before and think there is no reason for unions to exist anymore.
Yet, there are “wishes” over at the Toronto Urban Forum for Ronald Reagan style mass-firings (like he did with the Air Traffic Controlelrs in the early 1980s) and I have a hard time not agreeing with them. If the Rank and File are fully behind Kinnear and the leadership in the union, they should be prepared for a huge backlash.
But if they have their doubts, and are truely into public service, like those ads say, they ought to start speaking up and confronting their leadership when they make decisions like this.
The illegal strike comes hot on the heels of the TTC’s announcement that it won’t fight people who refuse to pay fares. If the TTC Union is going to be irresponsible enough to stage an illegal strike and inconvenience millions of passengers, I feel that I have the right to waltz onto a streetcar and refuse to pay.
It could be worse. If Toronto were in any number of countries in the world, citizens would be trashing bus shelters today and firebombing Connaught carhouse.
Is it only workers in car plants that have right? Soon as labour action affects the people who most vehemently defend worker rights they turn into Harris clones.
That’s simply not the case Palmerston. You can’t compare an illegal surprise strike like this, with support, or lack of support, for autoworkers. Nobody has said TTC workers don’t have the right to bargain their contracts….which they did, last year.
A legal strike situation is one thing, but to illegally walk off the job and hold the city hostage is unacceptable.
I have no problem with TTC workers fighting for improved working conditions, but a wildcat strike with no warning does very little to give them credibility in the public’s eyes. Especially when the union president spends all morning insisting it is a lockout.
I think Toronto would be a better city today if we just all called in sick, had some ice tea and read a good book…it’s a holiday in the US, business can waint until tomorrow anyways. We all need to have some improptu holidays more often.
On a heavier note: I generally support unions and think that if every job was unionized that would be just dandy, but I can’t quite see the logic behind this one. I’m saddened to see especially on the comments at the Star and Globe a lot of anger towards the workers themselves, many who were just as clueless as the rest of us.
As I rode the GO train from work today — first time ever, and I can’t say I fully understand how it works or why there are so few or so poorly-promoted — I was thinking that we’re too reliant on the TTC.
Public transport is great, but leaving so many of our eggs in just one public transport basket is not so good for us. Yeah, a system of bike paths is one driver of transit diversity, and it needs supporting.
But we need others. A question: how about share taxis, which apparently are or have been killed “jitneys” in Canada — like jitney stands outside subway stops and major hubs? Is there no way that this model can be implemented in Toronto? Would it take too much away from existing modes?
This week’s strike situation has put me in an interesting position. I take transit everyday and feel that in most cases it is the only acceptable way to commute within the city limits. On the other hand, my feelings for the TTC have always been mostly of aggravation and intense frustration. Bob Kinnear’s ridiculous posturing has really driven me over the edge. I have absolutely no sympathy for unionized TTC employees (drivers and fare collectors in particular), who in my opinion have no common decency or respect for the Commission’s ridership. I’m fully behind Ronald Regeaning the lot of them.
I find it very difficult to reconcile my distaste for “The Better Way†with my desire for a world class transit system in Toronto. I understand that there are many factors to consider in this situation, but am clear in my position that the TTC itself (management included) is a major part, if not the defining one of the problems facing Toronto commuters. Throwing more money at the existing regime is not going to fix anything; in all likelihood service will not improve, ridership will continue to idle and the TTC’s already overpaid, under worked and incredibly rude employees will be the only beneficiaries.
Anyone agree?
Not me.
I want to see the union fined for their illegal action, but you paint the TTC employees by far too broad a brush. My experience is that rude drivers and ticket collectors are a minority, and that we only remember the rude ones because they stand out, and those who are courteous tend not to be noticed because, after all, they are doing their job.
And their job is hard. Assaults of TTC employees is a problem, and management has been slow in responding to the serious safety concerns the commission’s employees have had. I would not do the job that they do for the money their paid. It would be too stressful.
As good as the TTC is, we need a better transit system in Toronto, and relations between the employees and management must be improved. The problem of rude drivers must be eliminated. But as a first step, blaming every single employee, regardless of their attitude to the strike (operators actually showed up for work on Monday; they just weren’t able to cross the maintenance workers’ wildcat picketlines), is not a constructive approach that’s going to improve matters.
ttc is an important way of transportation for many ppl and they shouldnt b getting punished. This should be between the union and ttc, but just because their having issues doesnt mean that the ttc should shutdown. Mnay ppl cant afford to take a taxi so taking this action was very childish and should be ressovled another way.
i think that the ttc going on strike wasnt a very good idea because it ressolved to many problems in toronto. over 700,000 people didnt have any transportation in the city, it left alot of people stranded.it should be between the union and the ttc.