ATU Local 113 would like to wish our members a happy Diwali!
May the festival of lights bring you and your family health, happiness, and success.
ATU Local 113 Vice-President joins wreath ceremony in Etobicoke
ATU Local 113 Executive Vice-President Angie Clark and Executive Board Member Nick Mitropoulos paid their tributes at the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Etobicoke City Hall.
ATU Local 113 President joins wreath ceremony for Remembrance Day
ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred with Master Corporal Uong from 32 Service Battalion laying a wreath at the Remembrance service today.
ATU Local 113’s United Indigenous Council leads Sunrise Ceremony to commemorate Orange Shirt Day
ATU Local 113’s United Indigenous Council led a Sunrise Ceremony at Arrow Road yesterday to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Our Vice-President Angie Clark and the Wardens of ATU Local 113 joined in the ceremony to acknowledge the tragic history of Canada, the resilience of Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, and to honour the children who were impacted or never returned from residential schools.
Brent Pelletier, a member of the United Indigenous Council of ATU Local 113, addressed the gathering at the Sunrise Ceremony. Speaking of the generational trauma of residential schools Pelletier said, “Every single one of your Indigenous friends is either a residential school survivor, a survivor’s child, a survivor’s grandchild, or all three – Every single one.”
In support of the Indigenous people who are healing from the atrocities of the Residential School System, a Sacred Fire was built and attendees wore ‘Every Child Matters’ orange shirts. The Honour Song was recited to the children whose lives were taken and the survivors, families and communities that were left to put the broken pieces together.
Pelletier, a member of ATU Local 113 for 30 years, said, “The orange shirt symbolizes the stripping of our culture, language, traditions, freedom, and self esteem. So, my message to our young people is: Do everything they tried to destroy. learn and sing our songs, learn our dances, go to our ceremonies, develop your cultural identity, learn your language, and sit with our Elders. Let’s heal together.”
Clark recognized the work of Local 113’s United Indigenous Council and thanked them for their incredible commitment and unwavering dedication in lighting the way in our community and in our place of work towards learning and healing.
Clark acknowledged, “By wearing orange today, we stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. This is an important day of remembrance and reflection.”
Toronto Transit Workers call for Transparency on Eglinton Crosstown LRT
ATU Local 113’s President Marvin Alfred is calling on Metrolinx leadership to be more transparent with Torontonians regarding the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
“Toronto transit riders deserve better,” said Alfred. “Metrolinx has repeatedly failed to deliver this project on time. Now they won’t even tell us when the Eglinton Crosstown will open, or the reason for the continuous delay.”
Public transit agencies like the TTC have always built and operated large scale transit projects. Every year, the TTC continues to service and maintain countless kilometers of streetcar tracks. Instead of relying on expertise and experience, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project was built by novices.
Premier Ford has acknowledged that the privatized Ottawa Light Rail is a ‘real disaster’. The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is just the same situation. The common factor is the privatization of these projects. Transit should be kept public. Metrolinx wants to conceal their privatized failures. It is time for Metrolinx and its leadership to come clean.
ATU Local 113 applauds decision to add presence of workers at subway stations
ATU Local 113’s President, Marvin Alfred, spoke to media last week to express his and the union’s thoughts on the announcement of adding more customer service representatives at subway stations across the city.
Alfred applauds the decision by Mayor Chow and TTC Board Chair, Councillor Jamaal Myers.
ATU 113 president on TTC board’s proposals | CP24.com
TTC plans on hiring additional frontline staff to deal with safety issues | CityNews Toronto
Individual who verbally abused Local 113 member has been arrested
ATU Local 113 has learned that the individual who verbally abused our member has been arrested.
We will wait for further updates from the Toronto Police Service.
ATU Local 113 with Mayor Chow and Gord Perks at this year’s Labour Day Parade
For the first time in a while, Toronto has a leader who stands up for unions, labour workers, and our members.
We look forward to working alongside Mayor Chow and City Council to protect, invest, and improve public transit.
Thank you to the political allies of labour workers!
Thank you to political leaders who show up to demonstrate their support for labour workers in Toronto!
Photographed are Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and NDP MPPs Peter Tabuns and Bhutila Karpoche.
Celebrating labour workers!
ATU Local 113 joined thousands of workers, unions, and allies today as we celebrated the work of labourers in Toronto.
