CBC: TTC union calls on transit agency to take steps to protect operators from assaults

After a demand for answers from the TTC, ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos told CBC News that “There needs to be more resources on the TTC system to ensure the safety or workers and riders.”

A total of 86 assaults on operators has occurred in the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 23%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2020.

TTC union calls on transit agency to take steps to protect operators from assaults | CBC News

ATU 113 Black Caucus Announcement

We are proud to announce that the work of building the ATU 113 Black Caucus has begun. It is time to fight Anti-Black Racism, breakdown systemic barriers, and ensure the voices of Black members are heard. This is a historic moment for ATU Local 113 and we stand in solidarity with our Black Sisters and Brothers as they move forward in their quest for social justice and equity.

Online Information Meeting – Sunday, April 18, 2021

Sisters and Brothers,

ATU Local 113 will be hosting a virtual information session for members through Zoom on Sunday, April 18, at 10 a.m. Members can register at the link below by providing their full name, email address, badge number and work location.

Please note that the cut off time for registration is 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.

Zoom Registration Link

After registering, members will receive a confirmation email from Zoom with their secure personalized link. They will be able to participate by clicking on that link at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 18, 2021.

Members are encouraged to submit their questions at the time of registration, but there will also be a live moderated Q&A period at the meeting.

For security reasons, only computer access will be allowed. There will be no option to phone in to the webinar.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

 

In Solidarity,

Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113

ATU Local 113 Strongly Opposes TTC’s Potential Carpooling Policy

Sisters and Brothers,

The TTC is considering trying to prevent our members from carpooling to and from work. The TTC has no authority over what our members do outside of working hours. Until the TTC takes our members’ health and safety seriously, they shouldn’t be lecturing us about carpooling, especially when overcrowding on buses persists across the system.

The City of Toronto’s own Lockdown Guide makes it clear that sharing a car with people from other households is reasonable behaviour if masks are worn while in the vehicle.

Instead of telling members how to commute to work, the TTC should stop dragging its feet and reimplement the various safety protocols that were in place during the spring. For weeks, ATU Local 113 has urged the TTC to reimplement rear-door boarding on buses, block the two seats behind bus operators, stop accepting cash payments and cease issuing paper transfers to bus riders. The TTC has yet to act despite our numerous demands.

We have shared our concerns about this carpooling policy with TTC management. We will continue to oppose it while standing up for our members’ rights.

In Solidarity,

Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113

VIDEO: 2020 in Review

Sisters and Brothers,

2020 was a year defined by its challenges, but our members rose to the occasion and served Toronto with grit and distinction. ATU Local 113 would like to thank all members for their sacrifice and dedication this past year.

In 2021, we’ll hold politicians and the TTC accountable. We’ll fight for our members’ rights, jobs and health and safety as we begin contract negotiations. Together, we’ll come out of this crisis stronger than ever.

In Solidarity,

Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113

Member Spotlight: Chris Jones, Operator at Malvern

Sisters and Brothers,

ATU Local 113 would like to thank and congratulate Brother Chris Jones, a proud Local 113 member for many years, community champion and the recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Fellow Award 2020. We encourage all members to read his story below.

Congratulations Chris! Your charitable work and commitment to our community is inspiring.

In solidarity
President Carlos Santos

ATULocal113_MemberSpotlight_ChrisJones_Pg 1 and 2

TTC 2021 Annual Service Plan is Public Transit Moving in the Wrong Direction

The TTC’s 2021 Annual Service Plan’s calls for reduced service of more than 300,000 hours is public transit moving in the wrong direction.

ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos told the Toronto Star that “Every hour of service cut results in longer wait times and more overcrowding, which is a public health issue during a pandemic. It will be impossible for Toronto’s economy to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and for us to meet our long-term climate change goals unless we increase the use of public transit.  The TTC cannot increase ridership with more crowded vehicles or longer wait times.”

The provincial and federal governments must provide stable transit funding to ensure TTC service is increased, rather than decreased, in 2021.

Toronto Star: TTC plans to continue at reduced pandemic service levels in 2021

ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos Calls on the TTC to Take Action to Protect Members

Sisters and Brothers,

Today, I am again calling on the TTC to take immediate steps to protect the health and safety of our members. As we continue to see overcrowding on several TTC routes and many riders refusing to wear masks, the TTC must step up and take the following actions:

  • Block off the area behind the operator
  • Eliminate the need to provide or use transfers
  • Rear door loading only
  • Remove the requirement to attend at the operator’s workstation to pay cash fare
  • More buses on the road to service overcrowded routes during peak hours
  • Greater enforcement of the mask policy

In letters sent this week to TTC CEO Rick Leary, Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, I again called on the TTC to take action to protect workers and the public.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, ATU Local has fought for your health and safety. As we’re in the second wave, we will continue to fight for you.

If you see anything that violates health and safety practices, please file numbered occurrence reports at your workplace. This is important – ATU Local 113 will always support its members when they have health and safety concerns, but we need formal complaints to better address these issues at the TTC.

Our members have placed themselves and their loved ones at risk by continuing to work every day of the pandemic, through temporary layoffs, service cuts and countless other daily challenges. I recognize and appreciate the sacrifice you make to keep our city moving and I ask for the TTC to do the same by taking steps to better protect you.

In solidarity,

Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113