This Thanksgiving, ATU Local 113 extends our warmest wishes to all members and your families!
We are grateful for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to keeping our communities moving every day. As we gather with family and friends, we hope you have the opportunity to relax, reflect, and enjoy the company of those who matter most.
ATU 113 is actively supporting candidates for the upcoming municipal elections.
Voting Day is October 26, 2026. Together, ATU Local 113 members can strengthen our voice in communities and raise the voice of working people by electing candidates who understand the value of strong public services.
In the municipal and school board elections on Monday, October 26, 2026, ATU Local 113 members are stepping forward as candidates for School Board Trustee.
School board trustees help shape decisions that affect students, families, education workers, and communities. Our members bring valuable frontline experience, a strong commitment to public services, and a clear understanding of the importance of safe, reliable, and accessible transportation.
“I’m standing for Durham District School Board Trustee as a strong union advocate committed to solidarity, workers’ rights, and quality public education. For 14 years, I’ve fought underfunding, overcrowding, unsafe conditions, and school repair backlogs. I’ll listen to workers and parents, defend public services, and advocate for safe schools, students and education workers.”
– Amjad Muhammad, Executive Board Member (Maintenance), ATU Local 113
“As a School Board Trustee candidate, I understand how important transportation is for students and families. Public transportation should remain public, just like our schools. Students deserve safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. Decisions should be transparent and accountable to the public.”
– Sean Fitzgerald, Member, ATU Local 113
“As both a TTC operator and a school board trustee, I see firsthand how essential public transit is for high school students. As a trustee, I ensured our budget included funding to purchase transit tickets for students who need them. The partnership between school boards and the TTC is vital to helping students access their education and opportunities.”
– Sal Piccininni, Member, ATU Local 113
ATU Local 113 members can help build momentum for these campaigns:
Check your municipality’s election information for voter registration, advance voting, and polling details.
Together, we can support fellow ATU Local 113 members, strengthen the voice of our communities and working people in public education, and help elect trustees who understand the value of strong public services.
Local 113 delegates joined transit union representatives at the ATU Canada Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The conference is an opportunity to share ideas, address issues affecting transit workers and strengthen advocacy for our members, safer workplaces and strong public transit.
ATU Local 113 members have achieved major victories over the past few years. We have brought contracted work back in-house, ended random drug testing, secured significant investment in the TTC, and won a landmark collective agreement that raised the bar for transit workers across the country.
These victories were made possible, in part, by having an ally in the mayor’s office. When Olivia Chow won the 2023 by-election, she inherited a City Council shaped by former mayor John Tory’s anti-worker, pro-privatization agenda.
By working together, Olivia Chow has delivered important progress in just three years:
We know the TTC still needs deeper change. Management must be held accountable , vacancies must be filled so that the TTC can catch up on maintenance, and fares and revenues must remain under local democratic control. Most importantly, riders and workers need to see and feel the benefits of greater investment through better service.
We are stronger in every one of these fights because Olivia Chow is on our side. We need her back at City Hall for another four years so we can continue working together to build a better TTC for riders and workers.
The ATU Local 113 Maintenance Executive Board recently welcomed Eliseo Acosta Jr. to Toronto for a two-day visit focused on ATU Workforce Development: Building the Future of Transit Through Mentorship and Apprenticeship Programs.
The visit provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about ATU International’s workforce development initiatives and discuss the critical role that mentorship, apprenticeship, and skills development play in preparing the next generation of transit workers.
A key highlight of the presentation was the work being done through ATU Workforce Development and Mission 230, including the development of a strong mentorship network and the training of approximately 3,000 mentors. These initiatives reflect ATU’s commitment to ensuring members have the knowledge, support, and opportunities needed to succeed throughout their careers.
One of the most important messages shared was that transit work cannot be learned solely in a classroom. While technical training provides a strong foundation, the skills required to safely operate and maintain transit vehicles and infrastructure are developed through hands-on experience, mentorship, and continuous learning on the job. Mentorship and apprenticeship programs are essential to preserving the skills, knowledge, and professionalism of our industry. Experienced members play a vital role in passing along their expertise, work ethic, safety practices, and commitment to public service. Strong mentorship helps new workers build confidence, develop sound judgment, and understand the responsibilities that come with serving the riding public.
During the visit, discussions were further strengthened through tours of several TTC facilities, including David Miller Carhouse (Leslie Barns), Hillcrest Complex, Duncan Shop, Mount Dennis Garage, and Wilson Tracks. These visits provided valuable opportunities to discuss workforce development, operations, maintenance, and leadership across our system.
ATU Local 113 extends its sincere appreciation to ATU International President John Costa and the ATU International team for their continued commitment to our members and the future of our union. We look forward to expanding mentorship, apprenticeship, and workforce development opportunities that will help build a stronger workforce and a stronger union for generations to come.
Members of the ATU Local 113 Executive Board and Political Action Committee have been active across Toronto, attending campaign launch events and connecting with candidates, community members and labour allies who share a commitment to better public transit in Toronto.
Among the events attended were campaign office launches for Chiara Padovani and Alejandra Bravo. The launches brought together supporters, volunteers, and residents ready to organize around the issues that matter to working people and communities across Toronto.
ATU Local 113’s participation reflects our union’s commitment to political action and to ensuring that the voices of transit workers are heard in decisions affecting public transit, affordability, strong public services and Toronto’s future.
ATU Local 113 Executive Board members attended Olivia Chow’s mayoral campaign press conference, where public transit was a key focus of the discussion. Mayor Chow spoke about keeping fares affordable and increasing funding for Toronto’s public transit system.
For ATU Local 113, being present and engaged in these discussions is essential. Decisions about transit funding directly affect our members, the quality and reliability of the service we provide, and the safety of the workers who keep Toronto moving.
Adequate public transit funding is vital to maintaining a safe, reliable and accessible system. It supports proper staffing, preventative maintenance, modern equipment, effective training and the safe working conditions employees need to deliver dependable service every day. ATU Local 113 will continue to advocate for our members and ensure that worker safety and working conditions remain central to conversations about transit policy and funding.
A long-standing ally of public transit in Toronto, Olivia Chow is pictured, alongside Executive Board members Brian Connolly and Amjad Muhammad, holding ATU Local 113 Union Member Handbooks in support for our members and the vital work they perform to keep Toronto moving.
In the upcoming Toronto Municipal Elections on October 26th, we encourage our members to support candidates who will support:
Last night, members of the ATU Local 113 Executive Board and Political Action Committee joined more than 1,000 supporters at the Danforth Music Hall for the official launch of Olivia Chow’s re-election campaign for Mayor of Toronto.
The packed venue was a powerful display that people are ready to come together, fight for a city that works for everyone, and keep moving Toronto forward.
Now the campaign is looking for volunteers to help build on that momentum by connecting with residents across the city. For more information on the campaign, visit https://www.oliviachow.ca/.
