Author: Stephanie Gomez

ATU Local 113 proudly participated in the Pride Flag Raising Ceremony held at Hillcrest.  Members of the Executive Board of ATU 113 stood in solidarity with our members representing the LGBTQ2S+ community.

President Marvin Alfred acknowledged and appreciated the difficult journey many members of the LGBTQ2S+ have had. “You are seen, heard and appreciated. You are a significant part of the diverse mosaic that is our world. We acknowledge you and assure you of our continued allyship in your fight for equity, inclusion and equality.”

Members of the ATU 113 LGBTQ+ Committee attending the ceremony included, Jaxon Jackson, Leigh-Ann Herne, Pam Mastrella, Mike Marges. They were joined by our members Rana Dabaissi and Lucy Crawley.

May 30th is World MS Day. This is an opportunity to join the MS community in raising awareness about MS.

Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, with an estimated 90,000 Canadians living with the disease. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS every day. Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 49 and the unpredictable effects of the disease will last for the rest of their lives. MS impacts Canadians who live with the disease as well as their family, friends and community.

ATU Local 113 is committed to support MS research in Canada, to help fight this debilitating disease.

https://mscanada.ca/msawarenessmonth

World MS Day 30 May 2025

Our retired members have committed so much to keeping our city moving. We were honoured to celebrate their contributions at our annual Pensioners Party!

The TTC’s new CEO will need to bring expertise to move rapidly towards progressive changes for better public transit, prioritizing service reliability, safety, maintenance, and state of good repair of Toronto’s public transit. ATU Local 113 will be there to continue to work towards improving transit for workers and riders.

Comprehensive solutions to Toronto’s transit issues, such as authentic service improvement and consistent investment in state of good repair, requires all stakeholders to work together. Listening to transit workers, who are the eyes and ears of the system, will be paramount in clearly identifying problems and finding solutions. It will require a close examination of corporate KPIs that are more geared towards ‘savings’ – and not authentic ‘service’ improvements.

Finally, the TTC needs leadership to be firmly invested in advocating for reliable and sustainable transit operational funding from all levels of government, to support the promise of Toronto, and its place in the Canadian economy.

We have an opportunity to build a transit system together that is held to a higher standard than where we are currently – a higher standard of care, accountability, and transparency to the public we serve and the workers that provide the service.

It was great celebrating ATU Local 113’s retired members at our annual Pensioners Party!

We thank our retiring members for their commitment, hard work, passion, and service to keep Toronto moving!

ATU Local 113 is deeply saddened by the news of the tragic collision at Highway 401 and Eglinton, on Sunday morning, at around 12:30 a.m., that has left one of our own members and their child seriously injured. Tragically, the collision also claimed the lives of their three young children.

On behalf of our members and the Executive Board, we offer our deepest condolences to the family on their profound and devastating loss. Our thoughts are with the operator, their family, loved ones, and colleagues, during this incredibly difficult time.

For those who wish to support the operator in this time of need, the family has set up a GoFundMe page to offer assistance: Fundraiser for Maverick Lavina by L Kelly Tiemsen Tan : Support Laviña Family with their Tragic Loss

We thank our retiring members for their commitment, hard work, passion, and service to keep Toronto moving!

• Stewart Clubley, Operator – Transportation
• John Brihante, Operator – Transportation
• Surinder Rai, Operator – Transportation
• Joan Pitters, Operator – Transportation
• Troy Lee, Operator – Transportation
• Yazid Deane, Operator – Transportation
• Washington Emaldi, Operator – Transportation
• Kiran Sidhu, Operator – Transportation
• Allan Thomas, Operator – Transportation
• Doug Anglin, Operator – Transportation

Our best wishes as you begin this new chapter of your lives. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement!

ATU Local 113 Skilled Trades Committee members attended the Jill of the Trades event at Centennial College, Ashtonbee Campus on May 14, 2025, in partnership with TTC to help attract young women into the skilled trades and apprenticeships within TTC.

Local 113 continues its efforts to reduce barriers for women to step into rewarding, high-demand careers in the skilled trades within the TTC’s unionized jobs with great pay, job security, benefits, and an opportunity to contribute to keep Toronto moving.

ATU Local 113 is deeply shocked by the news of the violent attack on a Calgary transit bus operator yesterday. Our thoughts are with the operator, and their family and colleagues, during this difficult time. We wish them a full and speedy recovery and hope they are receiving all the support they need.

There is no place for violence at any workplace. Transit workers are simply doing their job serving the public and should have safe workplaces. ATU Local 113 continues to advocate alongside transit workers across Canada, demanding that all levels of government and transit agencies take immediate and meaningful actions to protect transit workers from assaults.

In the News:

Calgary bus driver hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being attacked, two people arrested | Globalnews.ca

Two charged in violent attack on Calgary Transit bus driver: CPS