President Carlos Santos recently shared some of ATU Local 113’s 2020 priorities to improve the TTC with Sergio Mourata of OMNI TV’s Focus Portuguese. Focus Portuguese is a program that focuses on local issues from the unique perspective of the Portuguese-speaking community.
Through working together, our members have secured real change – but the fight continues for fair funding and a healthier, safer, more affordable and equitable Toronto public transit system.
- Keeping Transit Public: President Santos stressed how the PC Government’s disastrous subway upload scheme would have been the first step to privatizing the TTC Subway. ATU Local 113 is clear: Toronto’s public transit should remain owned by Torontonians and operated and maintained by the ATU Local 113’s skilled workers trusted with the work for over 100 years.
- Clean Air: President Santos raised ATU Local 113’s ongoing concerns that the TTC is not prioritizing employee health and safety. While the TTC tries to paint a rosy picture of the subway air quality, the fact is employees should never be exposed to PM 2.5 contamination.
- Integrated System: The TTC’s maintenance workers’ great work was recognized on Focus Portuguese. President Santos emphasized the importance of all future transit projects utilizing an integrated workforce to ensure the most skilled and qualified workers continue maintaining Toronto’s public transit system.
- Subway Safety: While the TTC implements an Automatic Train Control system on the Yonge-University line, President Santos communicated the importance of a signal guard and the safety it guarantees.
https://www.facebook.com/FocusPortuguese/videos/817108052086004/