Earlier today, it was reported that a fatal accident occurred at the Finch and McCowan area involving a pedestrian.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident in Scarborough and our thoughts are with the pedestrian, their loved ones and the transit operator involved. This loss of life is a tragedy that impacts everyone. At this time, we are looking into this incident to understand the full details,” said Marvin Alfred, President of ATU Local 113.
The Toronto Star covers the increase in assaults on transit workers since the start of the pandemic. A protection plan including increased enforcement must be established. If we don’t take action now, assaults will continue and workers will continue to suffer.
Toronto Star: Attacks on TTC workers lead to calls for more enforcement
The time to act is now. Yesterday, ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred stressed the need for a robust strategy to ensure the safety and well-being of members. In span of two weeks, there have been two assaults on our members. This is a crisis that won’t go away without action.
In the last quarter of 2021, 67 transit worker assaults occurred. Many go unreported.
ATU Local 113 is calling for the development of a proactive approach to manage transit assaults. More needs to be done to create a safe working environment for our members.
ATU Local 113 members Anna, Daniel and Nicole joined President Marvin Alfred to discuss the psychological impact of assaults. It’s not easy. We thank them for sharing their stories. Our union stands by them as they overcome the trauma from these assaults.
CBC: Union calls for government action after 2 TTC workers stabbed this month
ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred and members Daniel, Nicole and Anna spoke to media today regarding the rise in assaults against transit workers. The TTC needs to be safe for riders and the many workers who keep Toronto moving.
CTV News: Attacks on TTC staff prompt union to call for more protections
This morning, ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred and members Nicole, Daniel and Anna spoke at a press conference to address the rise in assaults against TTC workers and what needs to be done to stop it. It is clear more work needs to be done to protect our members.
Sisters and Brothers,
ATU Local 113’s January Information Meeting will be hosted through Zoom on January 16, 2022, at 10 a.m. Members can register using the link below by providing their full name, email address, and badge number.
Please note that the cut off time for registration is 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2022.
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 January 16, 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,
Marvin Alfred
President, ATU Local 113
Sisters and Brothers,
As TTC CEO Rick Leary continues to attack our members and tries to eliminate union jobs that play a critical role in transit safety, ATU Local 113 will never stop fighting for you. In this video, we reflect on the history of our union, and how far we have come in enhancing and protecting the worker rights we have today. This video demonstrates ATU Local 113’s commitment to not only protect our members, but to also always put our members first.
In Solidarity,
Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113
Sisters and Brothers,
Between ATU Local 113 and TTC CEO Rick Leary, only the union has been consistent in its approach to vaccinations. We have always recommended an approach that protects public health and workers’ rights. Mr. Leary, on the other hand, has arbitrarily and unilaterally changed direction.
On August 18, 2021, Mr. Leary advised us that the TTC’s vaccination policy would provide rapid antigen testing as an alternative to vaccination. Days later, with no warning, he changed course to implement an extremely strict vaccination policy which is unreasonable and ineffective. This policy will result in continued conflict, and we believe we would succeed in a legal challenge, when our focus should be on working together to find solutions.
In mid-September, we provided a comprehensive written proposal for a vaccination policy which provides antigen testing as an alternative to vaccination, similar to what Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton have developed.
Just this week, we again asked for a meeting, but Mr. Leary took us to the Ontario Labour Relations Board before conversations could begin. At the meeting, TTC took a step backwards by saying unvaccinated members would be sent home.
Everything we have done since Mr. Leary broke his agreement aimed to bring him back to the table to negotiate in good faith. We asked our members to disclose status to demonstrate our desire to work together on a reasonable solution. That does not mean we support the policy.
As is clear from our press release, we believe mandating vaccination as a term of employment violates the Collective Agreement, Charter and privacy law. We are committed to fighting this issue at grievance arbitration if TTC does not reconsider the Policy.
From the beginning, we have proposed reasonable policies and pressured the TTC to move more quickly to protect public safety. We continue to ask TTC management to make sure there is enough space on vehicles for physical distancing and to require passengers to wear masks.
We stand by those demands today, as we have from the beginning.
TTC management has rejected all of our proposals and has never made one of their own. Picking unnecessary fights with workers only distracts from TTC’s failure to put in place measures to keep transit riders and workers safe.
TTC workers have already been under enormous amount of stress throughout the pandemic. This unnecessary and unlawful policy has only made things worse. Our members want to focus on serving transit riders. Instead, they are having sleepless nights worrying about losing their ability to provide for their families over a healthcare choice.
In solidarity,
Carlos Santos
President, ATU Local 113