In recent months, the TTC and ATU Local 113, our largest union partner, have negotiated a new collective agreement. Yesterday, we started conciliation talks with a view to reaching a provisional agreement. Today, the TTC began negotiations on a new collective agreement with our largest union partner, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113. The current agreement expires on March 31, 2021. We intend to reach a new agreement by that date. Local 113 represents a vital group of front-line employees, including operators and maintenance staff, all of whom continue to play a vital role in keeping TTC customers moving. The past 12 months have been the most difficult in the TTC`s 100-year history. Together, this entire organization has overcome the unprecedented challenges we have faced. Strict public health measures have allowed passenger numbers and incomes to reach historically low levels as people stay at home in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. At the lowest point of the pandemic last spring, ridership dropped by 85%, costing the TTC $20 million in lost revenue each week. All the while, the TTC kept service moving for the hundreds of thousands of people who continued to rely on us to get to important jobs and appointments. In this way, the TTC is truly an essential service and we will continue to serve our customers continuously during the negotiation of this contract.
The TTC is the third largest transit system in North America, we are critical to the success and prosperity of Canada`s largest economy, and we strive to move people safely, efficiently and affordably. The TTC has been in talks with ATU Local 113 since February, but the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement. Read TTC CEO Rick Leary`s letter to ATU President Carlos Santos about ongoing collective bargaining. We met with ATU Local 113 and an arbitrator appointed by the Ministry of Labour to try to reach an agreement. We believe that what we proposed was the best collective agreement for everyone and that we hoped to have a constructive dialogue supported by the arbitrator. “We believe what we proposed was the best collective agreement for everyone and something we were hoping for could have led to a meaningful dialogue supported by the arbitrator,” Leary said in a statement Wednesday. “Unfortunately, we are now faced with the prospect of imposing a treaty on both sides, which is not the best way to resolve the negotiations.” TTC employees have strengthened to serve our customers and our city during the most difficult times. We are proud of them and appreciate the work they have done and continue to do. We are now focusing on productive negotiations with ATU Local 113 to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. Even in the face of significant challenges, we will be working towards an agreement that says: A TTC worker wears a mask on a bus on Thursday, April 23, 2020, as he travels to Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette We will continue to post updates on this site in the coming weeks, where and when appropriate.
TTC and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 began talks with a provincial arbitrator earlier this week, but according to CEO Rick Leary, the union requested a report without advice “within the first 10 minutes of the meeting,” meaning the matter is now subject to arbitration of binding interest with an arbitrator. In recognition of our employees` commitment to the TTC, especially during this difficult time, we have proposed a contract that includes a reasonable salary increase, maintains benefits and, in some cases, improves certain performance provisions that were identified by these negotiations as essential for workers. Collective bargaining is an important and formal process that can take time to get it right. “As we have said before, the tax challenges are real and it is my job to ensure the efficiency and modernization of this organization while serving customers and protecting employees. We need to be able to show that we pay attention to taxpayers` money while showing TTC employees our appreciation and respect for their hard work. It is unfortunate that, unlike so many other organizations that have also tried to reach an agreement in these difficult and sterile times, we have not been able to find a way to work together towards a controlled outcome,” he said in the letter to Santos. “Today, more than ever, is the time when we must work together to ensure a strong future for our organization that reflects our current realities. » City: Toronto, ONEmployer: City of TorontoChair: Carlos SantosPhone: 416-398-5113Fax: 416-398-4978Website: wemovetoronto.ca The TTC saw revenues drop by $332 million in 2020 due to a significant drop in ridership and similar financial pressures are also expected in 2021. In the letter, he called the TTC`s offer “a balanced package that would provide fair salary increases and performance improvements to employees” while “giving the organization the flexibility it needs to respond to a dynamic and ever-changing environment.” Unfortunately, ATU Local 113 was quick to request a “no advice” decision from the Labour Board. This means that the matter will be referred to an interest arbitration and will likely be resolved by a third party.
Any decision of the arbitrator is final and binding. In particular, it said it would create a new part-time category for metro, bus and tram operators “to allow for more flexibility” while granting “real and material improvements in performance sought by the union” in exchange for “administrative changes that would not affect the level of benefits received by workers.” He also noted that the offer “will help maintain and even improve transit service for the customers we serve.” The TTC and its largest union may soon find themselves in binding arbitration amid stalled contract negotiations. Because the TTC is classified as an essential service, its unionized workers cannot strike or be locked out. Collective Agreement: May 8, 2014 – March 30, 2018 After the talks broke down, the TTC has now taken the somewhat unusual step of releasing a letter Leary sent to ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos detailing some of the points of the transit commission`s final offer to the union. .
