Transit advocates joined together to celebrate important progress at the We Stopped the Upload Party on November 21, while recognizing the work still ahead to protect Toronto’s public transit system. The event took place at Paupers Pub in The Annex.
ATU Local 113 and other transit advocates celebrating at Paupers Pub
Thanks to the hard work of event organizers ATU Local 113, ATU Canada, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, TTCriders, Progress Toronto and NDP Transit Critic and MPP Jessica Bell, Premier Doug Ford backed away from his hostile TTC takeover. Now transit advocates are focused on protecting the operations and maintenance of future transit projects, and the maintenance of existing TTC Subway lines, from privatization. We must keep transit public!
Premier Ford and the PC Government’s disastrous subway upload scheme would have been the first step to privatizing the TTC Subway — like Metrolinx and GO train operations. Toronto’s public transit should remain owned by Torontonians and operated and maintained by the ATU Local 113 experts trusted for over 100 years.
At the party, attendees reminisced about the effectiveness of TTC workers and riders uniting with their shared concerns. The evening was cheerful, with transit advocates looking forward to continuing the fight in 2020.
ATU Local 113, ATU Canada and former federal NDP candidate Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda celebrating at Paupers Pub
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers stood up to Premier Doug Ford’s hostile TTC takeover and won. Now, join together with the people and organizations dedicated to protecting Toronto’s public transit system on November 21 at the We Stopped the Upload Party to celebrate all that we can accomplish when we work together – and recognize the important work still ahead of us.
Premier Ford and the PC Government’s disastrous subway upload scheme would have been the first step to privatizing the TTC Subway. Transit advocates were clear: Toronto’s pubic transit should remain owned by Torontonians, and operated and maintained by the ATU Local 113 experts trusted for over 100 years. The fight continues to protect subway maintenance workers and future transit projects in our city.
This important victory was secured through connecting directly with riders. With press conferences, cross-city Transit Days of Action, petitions, canvasses, rallies at the Ministry of Transportation and City Hall, and more, Torontonians heard firsthand the dangers of privatizing public transit. Premier Ford should fund properly fund the public transit system, rather than break it apart.
The We Stopped the Upload Party is co-hosted by the Stop the Upload Coalition, NDP Transit Critic and MPP Jessica Bell, ATU Canada, ATU Local 113, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, TTCriders, Councillor Mike Layton and Progress Toronto.
Find the details, see you there!
Date: Thursday, November 21 Time: 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Location: Paupers Pub
539 Bloor Street West Details: Light refreshments will be served.
With profound sadness, I share the passing of ATU International Secretary-Treasurer Oscar Owens on Friday, October 25. I offer my deepest condolences on behalf of ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers to his family, friends and all those who cherished his wisdom and experience.
Mr. Owens will be remembered as a respected leader and tireless advocate, building an extraordinary legacy of service and commitment. His work had profound impact – like with civil rights through founding of the ATU Black Caucus to empower African Americans – for the ATU and the entire labour movement.
A U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Owens joined ATU Local 192-Oakland, CA, in 1966, as a bus operator for AC Transit. In 1973 he became a shop steward and rose to become its President and Business Agent. He then served the International for more than 37 years alongside six International Presidents, as a Special Organizer, an International Representative, an International Vice President, and International Secretary-Treasurer, a post he was unanimously reelected to seven times.
During this time of mourning, ATU Local 113 members recommit themselves to hard work, honesty and integrity – values Mr. Owens lived by every day.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers live in the communities they serve. Their hard work continued September 1, when the Local joined together with the Parkdale Peace Project for their second annual Back to School Parkdale block party in support of children and families.
It was a day of family friendly activities, starting with a BBQ as 204 backpacks filled with supplies were given away right as the new school year began. Children were also given free haircuts and stylings.
Parkdale—High Park NDP candidate Paul Taylor was one of many community members in attendance.
The event was a huge success and brought joy to the many children and families that live in this community. Thank you to all those who helped plan this event – and to the Women’s Committee for their leadership.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers have always fought hard against the province’s TTC Subway upload scheme because it is bad for workers, riders and Toronto.
With today’s announcements, we cautiously welcome the news that the province is prepared to back away from its disastrous subway upload scheme for existing TTC Subway lines.
It’s because of your hard work and solidarity that this scheme is being halted. When we bring together Toronto’s transit community, we can fight for what we believe in and make change for the better.
With the province taking responsibility for future subway and LRT expansion, we call on the City of Toronto and the Ford Government to ensure all lines in the city are operated and maintained by a unified TTC workforce that has been trusted and qualified to do the work safely for over 100 years.
All Torontonians should be concerned if the province moves forward with “private-public partnerships” for building, operating and maintaining new transit lines. In the end, private companies will win while the public loses.
The Presto fare system, brought to the TTC through a “private-public-partnership through Metrolinx, is dogged by technological failures and delayed repairs – starving our transit system of much-needed cash. With the divided city-provincial workforce, highly-trained TTC workers are restricted from fixing malfunctioning Presto systems because Metrolinx, a provincial agency, insists on hiring inexperienced private contractors for the job. The result is longer delays for riders as vehicles are taken out of service waiting for private contractor repairs.
ATU Local 113 has long advocated for increased funding for our public transit system. For far too long, Torontonians have been forced to commute with dangerous overcrowding, or be stuck waiting on the curb. ATU Local 113 welcomes the expansion of Toronto’s public transit system, but it can’t put the public transit system at risk through a split workforce that will cost riders in the end.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers joined together with York Communities for Public Education on October 5 to protect quality, well-funded public services. A group of concerned Ontarians enjoyed a BBQ tailgate near Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney’s constituency as they discussed the impacts of her PC Government’s cuts – while strategizing on how to stop them.
Under Premier Doug Ford, Ontarians have seen devastating cuts to public education, transportation and other vital services. By standing together in solidarity, a clear message was sent to the PC Government that Ontarians will do all they can to protect those services.
A special thanks to all those who attended and York Communities for Public Education for co-hosting the event. Find some photos below.
Show your support for quality, well-funded public services at a BBQ tailgate near Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney’s constituency office. Under Premier Doug Ford and his PC Government, Ontarians have seen devastating cuts to public education and transportation. Through coming together as advocates for all vital public services, we have a stronger voice to protect them.
This event is co-hosted by York Communities for Public Education and ATU Local 113.
Find the details below – looking forward to seeing you there!
Date: Saturday, October 5 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: Grist Mill Park
186 Stegman Road, Holland Landing Notes: Free barbecue, drinks and music.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers were proud to represent the nearly 12,000 public transit workers from Toronto and the York Region as delegates at the 59th triennial ATU International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 23 to 27.
The agenda included topics of importance to ATU Local 113 and its sister unions across Canada, with delegates passing important resolutions including demanding that the right to organize be included in all Canadian provincial laws, fighting for a federal transit strategy and urging political leaders to introduce legislation to protect bus operators from assault.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers at the 59th ATU International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada
ATU Local 113 would like to recognize Matthew Green, a progressive candidate for the NDP in Hamilton Centre who addressed the convention. “We believe that transit is a right. That mobility in an urban center is a right and we’ll fight for that right,” Mr. Green declared to delegates. “We will fight… But we can’t do it alone, which is why solidarity is the single most important thing to overcome the isolation of the work that we do.”
In addition to the several union and nonprofit leaders from across the U.S. and Canada that spoke, delegates watched video messages from Democratic presidential primary candidates U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Delegates were urged to continue holding Presidential candidates and indeed all people running for public office to account for their lip service during campaigns. It is imperative that political candidates do not abandon their words of support and solidarity once they are elected to public office.
ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos and Secretary-Treasurer Kevin Morton celebrating with newly elected ATU International President John Costa
The convention culminated with the over 1,400 delegates representing more than 200,000 ATU members electing the new executive board. The convention elected John Costa as International President, re-elected Javier Perez as International Executive Vice President and Oscar Owens as International Secretary-Treasurer. After serving as an International Vice President since 2010, Mr. Costa assumed the position of ATU International President in May 2019, following the unexpected and tragic death of late International President Lawrence J. Hanley.
Also re-elected by delegates were eighteen International Vice Presidents including Manny Sforza, an ATU Brother from Toronto who will proudly represent our city. ATU Local 113 would like to thank him for putting his name forward and congratulate him on his electoral win!
Read more about the ATU International Convention from ATU Canada here.
ATU Local 113 Sisters and Brothers at the 59th ATU International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada
Two students registered at college this fall are doing so with $1,000 scholarships from the ATU Local 113 scholarship program. Congratulations to our 2019 recipients of the Peter Bodnick Scholarship, a program aimed to help children of ATU Local 113 members, pursuing a technical/post secondary registered trades programs, with their education expenses.
This annual scholarship program demonstrates the union’s commitment to higher education in the community we serve. This year’s winners received their awards in September 2019. The finalists were selected by the Scholarship Committee comprised of members of the Union’s Executive Board.
The recipients of the Peter Bodnick Scholarships for 2019 are based on their essay submission and are registered for a technical/post secondary registered trades program for the academic year 2019-2020.
The Scholarship Committee thanks every student who applied for these awards. We applaud the accomplishments of some of our best and brightest high school graduates pursuing further education. Good luck on your endeavors!
See the winners’ details below.
Applying for 2020 scholarships
If you will be a high school senior this fall and are a dependant of an ATU Local 113 member in good standing, you’re eligible to apply for the 2020 Peter Bodnick Scholarship. Application requirements include submitting a completed application form and an essay.
Application Forms and details will be available at https://atu113staging.wpengine.com/scholarships by May 1, 2020. We encourage graduating high school seniors or current registered students who have previously not received the scholarship to apply at that time.
We are proud to announce the 39 recipients of the 2019 John Lorimer Memorial Scholarship, a program aimed to help university or college bound children of ATU Local 113 members with expenses going towards post-secondary education. The union’s annual commitment to award each recipient with $1,500 demonstrates its initiative to support higher education in our community.
The recipients of the John Lorimer Scholarships for 2019 are applicants scoring the highest marks in Grade 12 and are registered for a university or college program for the academic year 2019-2020.
The Scholarship Committee thanks every student who applied for these awards. We applaud the accomplishments of some of our best and brightest high school graduates pursuing further education. Good luck on your endeavors!
See the winners’ details below.
Applying for 2020 scholarships
If you will be a high school senior this fall and are a dependant of an ATU Local 113 member in good standing, you’re eligible to apply for the 2020 John Lorimer Scholarship. Application requirements include submitting a completed application form and an official copy of your Grade 12 transcript.
Application Forms and details will be available at https://atu113staging.wpengine.com/scholarships by May 1, 2020. We encourage graduating high school seniors or university students who have previously not received this scholarship to apply at that time.
