Negotiations are ongoing between the TTC and the union representing around 700 of its electrical workers and technicians as the clock ticks towards a potential lockout or strike that could start as early as this weekend.
Their contract expired back in March and workers voted 99 per cent in favor of a strike with both sides in a legal strike or lockout position starting this Saturday at 12:01 a.m.
Wages remain the key sticking point.
The TTC says the union, CUPE Local 2, is asking for $40 million over the next three years, which they are calling unaffordable, while the union says its members need higher pay to handle cost of living increases.
“We’ve fallen far behind,” CUPE Local 2 President, Sumit Galeria, said Thursday.
“Look at our peers in comparative collective agreements — What is a substation electrician at Toronto Hydro making? What is a radio technician at Metrolink making?”
The TTC says its offer is not only comparable, but on the high end or similar deals and includes double pay for overtime and a 25 per cent premium for Sunday work.
“We don’t use (Toronto) hydro as a comparator,” said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green. “When we look at transit agencies around the GTA and Ontario, our offer is above what others have gotten. Right now … we’ve got a very generous offer on the table”
Another factor complicating the negotiating timeline — the FIFA World Cup is now just around the corner, less than 30 days away.
“We reached out to the union and as far as January of this year saying we’re ready to talk because we wanted to sort it out before the World Cup comes to town and we didn’t hear anything from them until March,” Green added.
A strike wouldn’t shut down the TTC, but it could impact subway service as workers who would usually fix signals, tracks, or power issues would be effectively off the job, resulting in increasing delays and potential line closures.
The TTC says it has contingency plans in place but has not provided details.
While speaking before the Board of Trade Thursday, Mayor Olivia Chow declined to comment much on the matter, but said it was “encouraging” the two sides were still talking.
