Author: Stephanie Gomez

On New Year’s Eve, a large fire occurred on the car of a TTC subway train at the Yonge-Sheppard subway platform on Line 1.  Thankfully, no one lost their life. However, several individuals were injured. It was “fortunate” that the fire broke out while the train was at a station with the doors open to the platform. If the train had been partially or fully in the tunnel at the time of the fire, the outcome could have been very different on account of this train only having a single crew member.

ATU Local 113 has repeatedly raised its concern that the One Person Train Operation poses a serious risk to passenger safety in the event of a fire on board the train.

If this fire occurred in the tunnel, the operator would have been cut off from the passengers by the flames. Assuming the operator was not overcome by fumes,  they would have been able to evacuate themselves through the front of the train, but the passengers would have been left in a smoke-filled train unassisted by any trained personnel.  When and if passengers were able to evacuate themselves they would be going into a tunnel filled with smoke and with a live electrified third rail.

Prior to the TTC implementing One Person Train Operation on this subway line, there were always two operators on board the train. In the event that the fire occurred on a subway train in the tunnel, there would have been an operator on either end who could assist passengers. This would ensure that no passengers would be cut off from trained TTC subway crew onboard the train, and that there would be a crew member to evacuate passengers and cut electric power.

Local 113’s concerns have been ignored by the TTC, presumably so they can “save” literally just a few pennies per ride. The fire that occurred on New Year’s Eve proves that this significant safety concern is not hypothetical, but rather a real one that the TTC should take seriously.

This was a near miss and the TTC should immediately return to two-person operation, as currently exists on Line 2.

Happy New Year! ATU Local 113 wishes you happiness, prosperity, and good fortune in 2024.

ATU Local 113 wishes a happy Kwanza to all who celebrate! Kwanzaa is a festival of unity, faith, love, and creativity. I hope it fills your life with all these wonderful things. Happy Kwanzaa!

ATU Local 113 wishes a Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! May this holiday season bring you laughter, joy, and the good company of family and friends.

On December 17^th, the City of Toronto will mark Transit Worker Assault Awareness Day.

ATU Local 113 continues to advocate strongly for transit workers in Toronto and to fight to make the TTC a safer place to work.

In 2021, Local 113 launched a survey to better understand the experiences and safety concerns of our members. The results highlighted that the problem of violence and harassment is worse than we thought. Our union has  since called on the TTC and the City of Toronto to work with us to make public transit a safer place for workers and passengers alike.

Last year, our union held a joint press conference with ATU Canada, where our members offered their testimony on the violence and assaults they encountered on the job, and the impact these incidents have on their daily lives.

As a result of the union’s due diligence, a Joint Management Health and Safety committee was established to ensure the employer was held accountable for safer work environments for all.

Local 113 continues to pursue several recommendations to develop and implement a comprehensive workers’ safety strategy, including:

Building greater public awareness

As a significant number of assaults on transit workers are committed by members of the public, it is important to develop a better relationship with the public and to create engagement with transit professionals. Conversations must take place within the community to raise awareness. In-person outreach programs can be designed to implement a customer campaign focused on respecting TTC employees and keeping them safe.

Improvements to organizational culture

To support our members and create a workplace environment that prioritizes employees, there needs to be improvements to organizational culture. The TTC needs to improve the current reporting system and actively listen and act upon worker-initiated reports more vigorously. They need to do more to support transit workers mental health, promote diversity and inclusion, improve investigation procedure and risk assessment, provide better training, protection and enforcement, and create external campaigns to increase community engagement.

Investments in improved technology and innovation

Local 113 has recommended that engineering controls be put in place to provide more protective barriers in the workplace to prevent transit workers assaults. Improved communications technology, measures, and procedures for summoning immediate assistance when workplace violence occurs is also required.

Enforcement of proper penalties

There must be consistent and proper enforcement of penalties for members of the public who violate the guidelines on harassment and discrimination or commit acts of violence.

Stopping the violence and assaults on public transit requires collaboration and a commitment to results.

Local 113 will continue to have the voices of our members heard, and advocate for making public transit safer for all.

President Marvin Alfred presented a deputation to the TTC Commissioners strongly opposing a proposal to contract out bus and streetcar servicing and cleaning.

The Local outlined that this is properly the work of Local 113 members, and that the union was not given any opportunity to make a proposal on having this work done in house by TTC employees. The Local stressed that the TTC was not acting in good faith on the issue of contracting out. The TTC is already embroiled in litigation with Local 113 over the TTC having improperly “contracted in” this work and stacking the procurement process against its own employees. The Local urged the TTC to authentically work with its union, rather than be drawn into further litigation.

Outsourcing these jobs to private businesses only creates dead-end jobs, paying barely above the minimum wage and substantially below a living wage. Creating a pool of dead-end jobs populated by persons from equity-seeking groups does significant harm when these workers could be earning a living wage at the TTC. Contracting this work to outside agencies deprives marginalized workers of good work opportunities that help bring stability to families and uplift communities.

Ian Fellows, Legal Counsel of Local 113, advised the TTC Board that contracting this work has resulted in jobs with less pay, less benefits, less security, and less opportunity for growth. Only the private business owner benefits while workers and our community lose. Local 113 was given three days notice to represent its case at this Board Meeting. This is yet another example of the TTC not acting in good faith, not being transparent and not offering a fair opportunity for its critical stakeholder – Local 113 – to present its expertise in providing solutions for better public transit.

The union’s intervention succeeded in persuading the TTC Commissioners to reduce the proposed contract period for the streetcar work from two years to one in order to provide Local 113 an opportunity to bring that work back in house.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Vanessa Kurpiewska in a tragic act of transit violence. Acts of violence such as this one should never occur on public transit. ATU Local 113 sends our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Vanessa. We continue to demand a safer transit experience for riders and workers.

Rest in peace, Vanessa Kurpiewska.

ATU Local 113 would like to wish a happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate! May the Festival of Lights bring you and your loved ones warmth, happiness, and peace.

ATU Local 113’s Women’s Committee recently attended the Stuff the Bus event to help the Parkdale Peace Project with its Christmas toy drive campaign. The initiative supported roughly 250 children in the Toronto area. Thank you for joining us, TTC Commissioner Councilor Myers!