Author: nanderson

Online Information Session For Members: Sunday, September 20

by nanderson

Sisters and Brothers,

ATU Local 113 will be hosting a virtual information session for members through Zoom on Sunday, September 20 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 September 19.

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, September 20.

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

Passing of Retired ABA Steve Anthony

by nanderson

We regret to inform of the passing of Steve Anthony on Friday July 24th, 2020. Steve retired in 2007 after dedicating himself to represent 3,500 maintenance employees as an ATU Local 113 Assistant Business Agent.

A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, August 1st, 2020 from 2p.m. to 4p.m. with words of remembrance at 3:30p.m. – Carruthers & Davidson Funeral Home – Wasaga Beach Chapel, 509 River Road East. A private invitation based reception is to follow. Please note a maximum of 50 people will be permitted indoors at one time, with health measures in place, including physical distancing from those who are not from the same household or social circle. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice Georgian Triangle – Campbell House or the Hospital for Sick Children.

Visitation

When
Saturday, August 1st, 2020 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Location
Carruthers & Davidson Funeral Home – Wasaga Beach Chapel

Address
509 River Road West
WASAGA BEACH, ON L9Z 2X2

Get Directions: View Map |

Toronto Public Health Report Confirms Air Contamination in Subway System

by nanderson

ATU Local 113 Continues Fight for Clean Air

A report released on Monday, January 6, 2020 by the Toronto Public Health department recognizes issues exist regarding air quality in the city’s subway system, including PM 2.5 contamination.

This new report confirms the problems regarding air quality contamination in the subway system are legitimate. ATU Local 113 has demanded that the TTC clean the dirty air in the subway system since a 2017 Health Canada study revealed that Toronto’s subway stations and trains had the highest levels of air pollution of Canada’s three major rapid transit system.

“The fact that the Toronto Public Health department is recommending short, as well as mid and long-term mitigation measures indicates there are obvious risks,” said Carlos Santos, ATU Local 113 President.

These concerns are shared by CUPE Local 2, which represents hundreds of additional TTC employees. In late 2019, charges were laid against the TTC under the Environmental Protection Act related to PM 2.5 contamination, resulting from ATU Local 113’s ongoing advocacy on this important workplace health issue.

Toronto Public Health has also confirmed in discussions earlier today that the report does not address exposures to people working in subway areas, including ATU Local 113 members, other unionized workers in the TTC Subway system, as well as others in the many shops and services.

“If the conditions in the subway require many kinds of mitigation for passengers, any reasonable person has to be deeply concerned about what this means for anyone who works there for their living. It is extremely disturbing that Toronto Public Health wasn’t directed to look at this issue, knowing that the risks are obviously far greater for employees,” said Santos.

ATU Local 113 is raising serious concerns that the TTC is not prioritizing employee health and safety. While the TTC tries to paint a rosy picture of the subway air quality, the fact is too many employees are exposed to PM 2.5 contamination.

Enough is enough.

ATU Local 113 will continue to demand that the TTC make workplace health and safety a priority – and allow workers to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from health risks.

Toronto Public Health has further indicated the report does not apply to anyone who may have an existing medical condition, instead recommending they speak to a healthcare professional.
“When the city’s own health department recommends that passengers seek independent medical advice before using our city’s transit system, there is a major problem that needs to be addressed immediately,” said Santos.

Happy holidays!

by nanderson

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers celebrating– and a special thanks to those who will be keeping Toronto moving through December. Wishing you peace and joy with friends and family this holiday season.

A reminder of our holiday office hours:

Closes at noon – December 24
Closed – December 25
Closed – December 26
Closes at noon – December 31
Closed – January 1

2019 in Review: Getting Transit Back on Track

by nanderson

2019 was a landmark year for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. It was the year we got transit back on track.

Under new leadership, ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers fought back against the subway upload and won! Among the year’s many accomplishments, stopping the provincial government from uploading the subway was a major victory for our workers and Toronto’s transit riders.

In addition to the subway upload, 2019 was a year of protecting TTC workers’ health and safety. ATU Local 113 members have also been very active in the community volunteering at local events and donating to many great causes.

Lastly, ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos is excited to announce one more major development from this year. On December 3, ATU International approved online voting for ATU Local 113’s future elections.

Despite all the things we accomplished together in 2019, ATU Local 113 members know that the fight for workers’ rights continues in 2020. Get involved in the movement and sign up here to join the fight.

This past fall before the Toronto City Council vote on the TTC Subway upload, ATU Local 113 was prepared to launch a public campaign to apply maximum pressure on Premier Ford’s government to stop his disastrous plan. Although the following video was never released because the Ontario government backed down on their attempt to steal Toronto’s subway, we would like members to know that ATU Local 113 was always at the ready. You can watch the video of that planned campaign below.

Santa’s Streetcar Toy Drive on December 14

by nanderson

ATU Local 113 has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves. To honour that tradition and celebrate the holiday season, ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers will be participating in Santa’s Streetcar Toy Drive on December 14.

As a family friendly charity event, attendees are encouraged to donate toys to the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish, a program that has become one of the largest distributors of toys to children in need in the Greater Toronto Area. The program also provides financial assistance to hundreds of agencies, ensuring that hundreds of thousands of children across the GTA have a memorable holiday experience.

Members are encouraged to bring their family and friends to the Kingston Road Streetcar Loop to donate toys, take photos with Santa, enjoy live music and spread holiday cheer.

Find the details below, Happy Holidays and see you there!

Date: Saturday, December 14
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Kingston Road Streetcar Loop
(Kingston Rd + Queen St. East)
Details: Photos with Santa in a vintage streetcar, BBQ, face painting, live music and much more

 

CP24: TTC passengers evacuated from train after fire breaks out in subway tunnel

by nanderson

This week in the wake of a track-level fire at Dundas West Station, ATU Local 113 called for the TTC to prioritize safety over cost cutting and reinstate two-person crews on each train across Toronto’s subway system.

Our issues deserve to be in the media and that’s why CP24 covered our statement in their story titled TTC passengers evacuated from train after fire breaks out in subway tunnel.

Click the link above or here to read the story.

Solidarity with Ontario Secondary School Teachers

by nanderson

Public high schools across Ontario will close for a one-day strike on Wednesday, December 4.

Our Sisters and Brothers in the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) are escalating their fight at the bargaining table to reverse the cuts made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Teachers are taking job action to:

  • Stop massive increases to class sizes
  • Stop the mandatory e-learning plan
  • Restore supports that students need at school to thrive

Education matters to ATU Local 113 members. Our children and grandchildren will be hurt by the cuts to school budgets. Many neighbours, family and friends working in education will lose their jobs and pay if the Ford plan is not stopped.

Teachers stood with ATU Local 113 in our action against the TTC Subway upload. Now we need to show our solidarity with our best allies in defending quality, well-funded public education.

What can you do?

  • Talk to the parents and teachers in your school. Find out if there are any school-based actions you can participate in.
  • Put pressure on the Progressive Conservative government to settle by emailing or tweeting the Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce. Tell him take the cuts to our schools off the table, settle a fair contract for teachers, education workers and our kids NOW!!! Call 647-560-9700; Email: lecce@pc.ola.org; Tweet: @Sflecce.
  • Sign up at the Ontario Parents for Public Education https://linktr.ee/schoolwalkins to access resources, including a “Solidarity Kit” that can be downloaded or requested by post. Be sure to let them know that you are from ATU Local 113 when you sign up.
  • Join the Ontario Parent Action Network rally at the Sheraton Hotel (123 Queen Street West, Toronto) on Tuesday December 3, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Parents will be there to support OSSTF negotiators, with pizza and a strong, unified message for Minister Lecce and Premier Doug Ford. https://www.facebook.com/events/485803785369249/
  • Join OSSTF at Queen’s Park or Premier Doug Ford’s office between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 4.
  • Join the picket at the following locations and times on Wednesday, December 4.
    • 1 Civic Court Centre, Etobicoke (TDSB office) – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    • 140 Borough Drive, Scarborough (TDSB office) – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    • 5050 Yonge Street, North York (TDSB office) – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    • 2220 King Rd, #1, King City (Stephen Lecce’s office) – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • All high schools and adult education centres in Toronto and York Region – daytime pickets
  • Honk or ring from your cars, or buses and streetcars you operate going by picket lines.
  • Wear red and/or black clothing as a symbol of solidarity.
  • Organize a team to take flyers to local public spaces and give them out.
  • Send an email to your MPP, the Minister of Education and Doug Ford decrying the cuts to education and demanding a negotiated settlement that protects publicly funded education and provides a fair settlement for its workers.
  • Share your support for teachers and education workers on your social media accounts.

Thank you for your support!

Charges Against TTC for Violating Environmental Protections Act: ATU Local 113 and CUPE Local 2 Join Forces to Improve Air Quality in TTC Subway System

by nanderson

Today, charges were announced against the Toronto Transit Commission (“TTC”) and Rick Leary, Chief Executive Officer in the Ontario Court of Justice. The charges allege the defendants have allowed the discharge of contaminants in Toronto’s subway system in violation of the province’s Environmental Protection Act.

The informant in the proceeding, Thomas Donnelly, is a retired TTC worker and member of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. Donnelly initiated the private legal prosecution after experiencing adverse health effects allegedly related to exposure from contaminants, including PM 2.5, in the subway system.

Tests by Health Canada and the TTC have shown levels of PM 2.5 contamination in Toronto’s subway almost three times greater than Montreal’s and five times greater than Vancouver’s. Health Canada states “there is no recognized threshold … (i.e. that there are no ‘safe’ levels of PM 2.5) regardless of where exposure occurs i.e. indoors or outdoors, and there is evidence that adverse health effects occur at current levels of exposure.”

In July 2019, the TTC released a Final Report on Subway Air Quality, stating it continues to meet Occupational Health & Safety Act standards and that Health Canada has indicated, concerning public health, that there are no directly comparable standards for PM 2.5 levels in the subway. The expert evidence filed in the prosecution challenges many of these findings, as well as Toronto Public Health’s recent claim that the air is safe.

The lack of standards and regulations is a major concern. The prosecution will seek, amongst other things, standards for PM 2.5 in the subway system.  The prosecution will also seek more controls over contamination in the system, including allowing employees to wear masks while working, improved ventilation and better maintenance of the system.

Carlos Santos, President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 issued the following statement with members about the issue:

“The safety of our members is our top priority. Since 2017, ATU Local 113 and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2 have been calling on the TTC to work with its public transit workers to make real change to subway air quality, instead of continuing to ignore growing concerns. In August 2019, we rejected the findings of the 2019 TTC Subway Air Quality Report and demanded immediate action to reduce exposure to all known pollutants.

I want to reaffirm my commitment to you and your safety. At its core, this case is about addressing the lack of standards and regulations related to air born contaminants. We hope that this legal proceeding helps to bring about the needed change that we have identified. In the interim, we will be advocating to the TTC to implement near-term measures to address the issue.”