As many likely already know, the TTC went on strike at midnight on Friday night, contradicting their previous promise to provide the public with 48 hours notice of any strike. According to interviews The Globe and Mail conducted with members of the TTC union, the new contract (which included a 3% per year wage increase AND a clause guaranteeing that if any other transit workers in the GTA received a better pay rate, the TTC would match it) was voted down because of concerns that it would allow the TTC to outsource maintenance work.

In essence, the public is now being held hostage because of concerns amongst the TTC union that maintenance workers could lose their jobs. This is preposterous. The Globe and Mail interviewed a TTC driver named Al Evans, who perfectly embodies what is wrong with this strike.

“No one’s told me anything about a strike,” he said, as he began to radio central command.

“I hope there isn’t one because it’s Friday night and people got to get home.”

Mr. Evans said he voted no to the agreement because he had friends who were maintenance workers, and it didn’t look out for their interests.

“I didn’t see anything wrong with the transit side of things, but I had to vote no because they’re contracting out the maintenance work,” he said. “That’s what a union is all about, you got to look out for your co-workers.”

According to TTC representatives, maintenance work is not being contracted out at all. In fact, work being done to new vehicles under warranty is often done by TTC employees and then billed to the manufacturer. So why vote down a contract that guarantees a competitive wage? Why a snap strike practically designed to strand people counting on the TTC to get home on a Friday night?

Union leader Bob Kinnear said he had no choice but to set aside a promise to give 48 hours notice of any job action given the threat posed to his members by “irrational members of the public.”

That promise was made a week before this strike was announced. Does Kinnear really believe that public opinion towards TTC employees has turned hostile in such a short period of time? (And if it has, isn’t that a strong sign that the TTC is doing something horribly wrong right now?)

The TTC went on strike on Friday night because politically, they could get away with it. Had they given the public 48 hours notice of a strike, they would have been forced to begin the strike on Monday morning. Instead, by beginning the strike when they did, union leaders have given the City of Toronto plenty of time to draw up back to work legislation forcing the end of the strike. By declaring a snap strike, the TTC was practically able to guarantee its workers that they would be earning a wage again come Monday morning.

A union’s right to strike is important in its ability to negotiate effectively, but this latest abuse is a horrible abuse of that right. Here in London, I am never more than a $10 cab ride from home. If London Transit were to announce a sudden strike, I would certainly be inconvenienced, but nothing more. Had I been in downtown Toronto when the strike began, I would have faced a $60-$70 cab fare in order to make it home.

Public transit in Toronto has reached a point where it is an essential service. Citizens pay through both taxes and skyrocketing fares for access to the TTC infrastructure, and many would be unable to arrive at work or school without it. This strike shows a complete lack of respect for the people of Toronto who pay the wages of every TTC employee. It is simply unacceptable for the TTC union to vote down a contract and declare a strike four hours later. If this disrespect continues, there is no reason why the people of Toronto would continue to support allowing the TTC the right to strike.

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