TORONTO — A strike by 12,000 Toronto transit workers was averted late Thursday night, with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 announcing about 11:30 p.m. that it had “reached a framework settlement with the [Toronto Transit Commission] that allows us to put the strike on hold.”
The union had planned to walk out at 12:01 a.m. today (June 7) in what would have been its first strike since 2008, forcing the 1.3 million weekday riders of the TTC’s subways, streetcars, and buses to find alternative forms of transportation. It had been working without a contract since March 31.
The union said in its statement that it will continue to work with the TTC on contract details.
“We asked the TTC for assurances on job security, for protections on contracting out our jobs, for improvements in benefits for active members and pensioners,” the union said in a statement posted to its website. “Today we finally saw action on these critical issues.”
TTC CEO Rick Leary called the agreement “a fair deal that is affordable for the TTC and respectful of the important work” of the union members. He said he could not share any details since the settlement still needed to be ratified by union members and the TTC board.
The CBC reports Local 113 President Marvin Alfred said the framework called for a three-year contract throurgh March 31, 2027, and said at least a couple more days of work remained before the agreement was complete and the union would consider a schedule for ratification.
