wemovetoronto.ca » Worth A Million

In the Spring of 2008, ATU Local 113 mounted the largest public advocacy campaign in its history. The campaign centred on a Special Report by well-known environmentalist and former Ontario Cabinet Minister Marilyn Churley. In her report, Churley quantified the value of the Toronto Transit Commission to Toronto by positing the question: “What if the TTC Disappeared?” What would be the economic, environmental and health costs and how could these costs be quantified.

Churley concluded that a conservative estimate (it is likely far more) is that the disappearance of the TTC would cost Toronto and its residents over $12 billion. That works out to over a million dollars per TTC employee, giving the name to the campaign.

An innovative video summarizing the Special Report was also produced and was unveiled to the media in a precedent-setting ATU press conference held in the Toronto City Council Chamber. This was the very first time any union has held a press conference in the chamber.

Three 30-second television ads were produced, each featuring three ATU 113 members. The ads ran for over a month on local Toronto TV stations for a total of over 500 airings. In another precedent, the ads were translated into four additional languages: Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese and Mandarin. A major transit ad campaign was also conducted to recognize the work of ATU 113 members, each of whom is “Worth a Million.”

Television Advertising Campaign

The “Worth a Million” TV advertising campaign ran in Toronto on CBC, CITY, CP24, OMNI 1 and OMNI 2 from March 10 – April 6, 2008.

There were three spots, each featuring three TTC workers who are members of ATU Local 113. They represent the other 9,500 members of our union who operate and maintain North America’s third-largest public transit system.

Backstory: The Members in the Ads

Find out more about the interesting men and women of the Toronto Transit Commission featured in the ATU 113’s “Worth a Million” public transit awareness campaign.