The Province’s New Deal with the City of Toronto Could Put TTC Efficiency and Safety at Risk
TORONTO, ONTARIO – (October 29, 2019) – Toronto’s public transit union, ATU Local 113, calls on Toronto City Councillors to support motions that protect TTC maintenance from the threat of privatization at council meetings on October 29 and 30. The “transit update” between the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario leaves the maintenance of new and existing TTC Subway lines to further backroom negotiations, making it vulnerable to privatization like with GO Transit system.
The TTC losing maintenance of its own subway lines means breaking apart an integrated system, while ripping it from the hands of Toronto’s hardworking public transit workers trusted to do the expert work safely for over 100 years.
“Torontonians saw with the failed PRESTO fare system what it means to privatize our public transit system: repair delays, governance gaps and lost revenue,” said Carlos Santos, President of ATU Local 113. “The TTC must remain safe and efficient. The new deal between the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto leaves TTC maintenance to backroom negotiations, right where privatization schemes are hatched. Privatization means relying on outside contractors motivated by providing the least service for the most amount of money.”
The Toronto-Ontario Transit Update report from Executive Committee Meeting 9 seeks to “further define roles and responsibilities through operating and maintenance agreements” for maintenance functions and service levels/standard for the existing TTC Subway network and the four new Provincial priority projects.
“Toronto’s public transit workers fought hard for increased investment, but it cannot be at the expense of TTC efficiency and safety,” President Santos added. “The TTC Subway works because it is one system with one unified workforce. That cannot change.”
ATU Local 113 calls on Toronto City Councillors to support motions that protect TTC maintenance from the threats of privatization at upcoming council meetings and learn more about the important work of Toronto’s nearly 12,000 hardworking public transit workers by watching Protecting What Matters.