(Toronto, ON) – TTCriders, an organization of transit users in Toronto, released the following statement in response to a potential strike by ATU Local 113 members:
“It is outrageous that the TTC has not yet arrived at a deal to avert a strike. The stakes are very high for transit riders. Many of us cannot afford to lose a day’s pay or pay for taxis or Ubers. A strike will disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and affect everyone in Toronto, not just transit users. Other public services and businesses will be affected, because the TTC moves working class people to their jobs. For many Toronto residents, the TTC is our only option to access work, school, caregiving, groceries and appointments. For those with access to vehicles, gridlock will get worse.
TTCriders is asking transit users to call TTC CEO Rick Leary, Mayor Olivia Chow, and TTC Chair Jamaal Myers to urge them to negotiate a fair deal and avert a strike. After decades of underinvestment in TTC service and maintenance, we are also asking Premier Ford and Prime Minister Trudeau to stop neglecting funding the TTC.
TTC workers are fighting to keep transit public and accountable and to guarantee TTC bus service frequency in Etobicoke, North York, and Scarborough. Transit riders do not want TTC bus service to be replaced by MiWay, York Region, or Durham Region service levels: this will mean service cuts and longer waits for the bus. The TTC plans to integrate transit service across municipal boundaries and remove TTC buses from routes where other agencies provide service, starting with a pilot project on segments of Dufferin and Burnhamthorpe. This will mean a loss of accountability and transparency for transit riders: How can a Toronto transit rider have a say over York Region Transit service levels?
The potential impact of a strike demonstrates how important the TTC is to our city, and that we all depend on transit workers. All workers deserve fair pay and job security. No transit rider wants to see service disrupted, but we all deal with regular TTC service disruptions and subway shutdowns due to decades of inadequate transit funding and maintenance.
TTCriders is advising transit riders to make alternative plans now in case of a strike, if possible. But alternative options are not available to everyone, and cannot replace the TTC.
- Find out if your workplace is making alternative plans for Friday, June 7 and beyond;
- Organize carpools;
- Plan to take GO Transit;
- Make childcare arrangements in case daycares will be short-staffed or closed;
- Reschedule appointments;
- Arrange to work from home;
- Plan to cycle, use Bike Share, or walk.”
Link to 2022 TTC report: Cross-Boundary Service Integration: https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2022/February-10/Reports/12_Status_-Update_--_Cross-Boundary_Service_Integration.pdf