GO Transit workers are on strike for safety and job security as of November 7, 2022. The strike by 2,200 workers affects approximately 15,000 daily transit users, many of whom are post-secondary students in the GTHA.
TTCriders, a group of transit users in Toronto, urges Metrolinx, Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney, and Premier Doug Ford to come back to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair deal with ATU 1587.
Contracting out is a safety issue
Contracting out is a key issue for GO Transit workers. The working conditions of transit operators are the traveling conditions of riders. When private companies aim to make a profit, the safety and quality of contracted out services can go down because the companies may provide less training to workers and pay lower wages. For example, the Ottawa LRT had two derailments in 2021 and one was caused by "inconsistent and incomplete maintenance” by a group of private companies. Some of the same companies in charge have a 30-year contract to maintain the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
Another example is the PRESTO system, which is a public-private partnership between Metrolinx and Accenture. TTC workers need to call a contractor instead of fixing PRESTO payment machines or fare gates themselves. And TTC staff in stations are being reduced, which is a safety and accessibility issue.
Visit the picket lines with TTCriders:
North York picket line
7:00am on Thursday, November 10th
Steeprock Garage, 200 Steeprock Dr
Downtown picket line
4:00pm on Friday, November 11th
Bathurst North Yard, 433 Front St W
Etobicoke picket line
11:00am on Sunday, November 13th
Willowbrook Yard, 125 Judson St
How else can you support a fair deal for GO Transit workers?
Send a message to Metrolinx: www.bit.ly/gotransitcontract
Find a picket line near you to show your support: https://ofl.ca/picket-locations-atu-1587/
Which GO Transit workers are on strike?
GO bus operators, station attendants, and coach technicians, and other maintenance workers are on strike. One of the key issues in the strike is contracting out.
Why is contracting out a safety issue?
Contracting out means that work currently done by unionized workers gets outsourced to private companies. Because private companies aim to make a profit, they cut corners and don’t provide the same level of training to their staff. For example, the Ottawa LRT had two derailments in 2021 and one was caused by "inconsistent and incomplete maintenance” by a group of private companies.
Who makes decisions about GO Transit issues?
Metrolinx is the provincial transit agency. The CEO of Metrolinx is Phil Verster, but Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney are the ultimate decision-makers. Metrolinx is responsible for all of the rapid projects being built in the GTA, which are being built as public-private partnerships. Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster got a 35% raise during the pandemic while public sector workers have their wage increases capped at 1% by Premier Ford’s Bill 124.