A safe and healthy workplace in non-negotiable. Everyday, our Sisters and Brothers are on the front lines of the TTC helping Torontonians can get to where they need to go. We must be supported as we do this and we’ll continue to work with the TTC to implement changes to improve our workplaces.

Please share this post as we help the Toronto police identify a man who allegedly assaulted a Brother last year.

Man ‘became enraged,’ allegedly spat in TTC streetcar driver’s face, police say

A verbal altercation ensued after the man allegedly tried to steal transfers: police

Toronto police are appealing to the public for help in identifying a man who allegedly assaulted a TTC streetcar driver last year.

On the afternoon of Oct. 28, an operator was trying to help a woman get onto a streetcar at the corner of College and Bay Streets when the man allegedly stole a bundle of transfers from the dispenser.

The driver was able to recover the transfers, but a verbal altercation with the man ensued.

According to police, he “became enraged and spat in the operator’s face.”

Some staff have PTSD because of assaults

Kevin Morton, secretary-treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, said assaults on drivers and other TTC staff have become an epidemic.

“We have people with post-traumatic stress disorder because they’ve been assaulted a few times,” he said.

TTC statistics on reported assaults show that, between October and December 2017, there were 60 alleged assaults in which police attended the scene, Morton said.

He said verbal threats made against TTC staff and harassment are a major problem.

For example, Morton said a passenger twice threatened on the weekend to kill the same TTC bus driver. The threats were made on two consecutive days.

Meanwhile, the man wanted by police in connection to the October incident is described as being in his early to mid 30s, with a medium build. He was wearing a black jacket and blue jeans at the time of the alleged assault.

Anyone who may have information is asked to call Toronto police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.

See the full article here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-streetcar-alleged-assault-spit-1.4531357