Author: Stephanie Gomez

ATU International features Local 113!

by Stephanie Gomez

ATU International’s In Transit Magazine recently included two features for ATU Local 113.

ATU HEROES – At Local 726-Staten Island, NY, and Local 113-Toronto, ON | Amalgamated Transit Union

Our Sister, Monique Blake, helped save a passenger’s life by calling for help when the passenger needed urgent brain surgery.

Local 113 “United to Win” Campaign Secures Historic Contract Win | Amalgamated Transit Union (atu.org)

Local 113 recently went through a collective bargaining period, which resulted in a historic contract win for our union.

Local 113 Member pulls driver from burning car after crash- Coverage in the Media

by Stephanie Gomez

An ATU Local 113 member (bus operator) is being praised for pulling a driver out of a burning vehicle after a collision early Wednesday morning.

Toronto police said a stolen Honda was travelling at a high speed when it crashed into a TTC bus just before 4:50 a.m. at Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West.

Local 113 President, Marvin Alfred, spoke to media about the heroic efforts our members continue to demonstrate.

Print/Online

TTC bus driver pulls man from burning, possibly stolen car after crash | CBC News

Crash involving car and 2 TTC buses near Forest Hill (thestar.com)

‘Heroic efforts’: Toronto bus operator pulls driver from burning car after crash – Toronto | Globalnews.ca

Broadcast

Injuries reported in crash involving TTC buses in midtown Toronto (citynews.ca)

TTC driver hailed a hero for fiery crash rescue (ctvnews.ca)

 

ATU Local 113’s Statement on the Collision Incident at Bathurst and Eglinton

by Stephanie Gomez

Local 113 is reporting on the collision at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West at around 4:48 a.m. this morning, involving a motorist who ran a red light at high speed through the intersection. The vehicle caught fire immediately on impact and caused extensive damage to two TTC buses. President Marvin Alfred has reached out to the operator who is in hospital getting the medical attention he needs.

 

President Marvin Alfred said, “We are very proud of our operator who acted with composure when the incident occurred and reacted swiftly in the face of danger by pulling the unconscious motorist out from the burning car, despite his own injury. By rescuing the motorist, the operator acted selflessly and went beyond his duties to ensure the safety of others. He is proud to be able to help someone in danger. The operator mentioned that he didn’t stop to think, he just acted. We as a union are proud to call him a selfless hero.”

ATU Local 113 Supports Councillor Matlow’s Motion for Public Inquiry into Eglinton Crosstown LRT

by Stephanie Gomez

ATU Local 113 Supports Councillor Matlow’s Motion for Public Inquiry into Eglinton Crosstown LRT

Local 113 endorses the motion brought forward by Councillor Josh Matlow calling for a public inquiry into the significant delays and increased costs by Metrolinx in the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit.

This week’s announcement by the Ford government that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been further delayed into 2025 proves yet again the failure of the P3 (Private-Public-Partnerships) privatization model, which when applied to public transit hurts communities across Toronto wards.  The damage caused in this procurement process presents in many forms – from lost economic opportunity costs to the inconvenience of day-to-day transit travel, and the loss of small business with no end date in sight. The public is left to also deal with years of delays well-past the original 2020 deadline and costs going upwards of 500 million of taxpayer dollars over budget as last reported and still counting.

Transparency and accountability demonstrate that our government is acting in our best interest. For too long P3s in Ontario have been allowed to keep the public in the dark about project timelines extended without any accountability and costs which are spiraling out of control without any transparency.

It’s very disappointing that the call for a public inquiry must be raised once again at City Hall due to the actions of the previous mayor thwarting efforts of trying to establish transparency and a level of accountability to the citizens of Toronto. We can only imagine where things would be now had Councillor Matlow’s original motion for transparency been passed in December 2022 at the council meeting.

Allowing Councillor Matlow’s motion for the public inquiry to move forward this time around is the right thing to do. This should be seen as an opportunity for the truth to be revealed, so better decisions and measures for accountability can be put in place and the impact on citizens be minimized. The transportation minister and the Metrolinx CEO should also welcome the opportunity to sit before the executive committee and discuss the issues in a public forum. There is growing frustration in the community and the citizens deserve concrete answers that go beyond canned public relations releases and half truths.

Local 113 fully applauds and endorses Councillor Matlow’s motion to a public inquiry into the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and are hopeful that the council comes together to pass the motion in order to get to the bottom of the hidden issues.  Here is an opportunity for public service to take centre stage again. An opportunity for public trust to be regained. Anything less, would be unscrupulous.

 

Additional Information:

Today is National Truth and Reconciliation Day

by Stephanie Gomez

Today is National Truth and Reconciliation Day – an opportunity for us to continue educating ourselves about the tragic history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the resilience of these communities, and to honour the children who were impacted or never returned from residential schools.

 

ATU Local 113 members are participating in sunrise ceremonies and hosting events throughout the city to mark the day. Our United Indigenous Council remains dedicated to contributing towards learning and healing for our Indigenous members and the broader community.