What to know
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow are urging the TTC and CUPE Local 2 to reach a deal ahead of a May 16 deadline that could trigger a lockout of electrical workers.
- Negotiations remain ongoing, with TTC leadership saying the union’s wage demands exceed sector norms and inflation projections, adding significant cost pressures over a three-year deal.
- The province has issued a no-board report, allowing the TTC to lock out workers if no agreement is reached by 12:01 a.m. on May 16.
- Transit advocates and riders warn a lockout would disrupt service, criticize TTC communications, and call for a fair deal to avoid service impacts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow are calling on the TTC and the union representing its electrical workers to reach a deal as a lockout deadline this weekend approaches.
Negotiations between the TTC and CUPE Local 2, which represents the agency’s electrical workers, are ongoing despite a May 16 deadline that would allow the transit agency to lock out workers if no agreement is reached.
At an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, Ford said he hopes both sides will “come to their senses” and reach an agreement before the deadline and ahead of FIFA World Cup matches, when transit demand is expected to rise.
“Hopefully they can come to their senses, both parties. I’ll never take one side or the other. Let’s sit in the room, lock the door, and then come out with a deal,” he said.
Ford added that both parties should put Toronto residents first in their negotiations.
“Maybe they can take a break and go back to work and support a world-class event like FIFA. That would go a long way, I think, for the people of Ontario to see that happen,” he said.
Ford is not alone in calling for a resolution. In an email statement to Now Toronto, Chow’s press secretary Braman Thillainathan expressed a similar sentiment.
“The Mayor recognizes how critical TTC workers are to our city and that they keep Toronto moving every day. She is urging all parties to come to the table and reach a fair agreement,” the statement said.
Wages are among several issues on the negotiating table. TTC CEO Mandeep Lali said the union’s wage demands exceed other sector agreements as well as inflation projections. He added that accepting the union’s proposal would increase compensation costs by approximately $86,000 per employee over a three-year agreement.
Last month, the province issued a no-board report to the TTC, clearing the way for a lockout of CUPE Local 2 employees if a deal is not reached by 12:01 a.m. on May 16.
Advocates weigh in
Meanwhile, transit rider and co-chair of the campaigns committee at advocacy group TTCriders, Vincent Puhakka, told Now Toronto the organization stands with electrical workers and believes TTC management is not negotiating in good faith.
“We see that this tactic from TTC management is very aggressive, and it’s an attempt to not give the workers what they’re owed,” Puhakka said.
He added that rising costs of living and challenges in retaining skilled workers mean employees should be fairly compensated.
Puhakka said a strike or lockout would disrupt TTC service and inconvenience riders, but argued that the best way to avoid such disruption is for workers to receive a fair deal.
“The best way to do this is to negotiate fairly with CUPE Local 2, and to really treat the workers the way they’re meant to be treated, as skilled workers,” he said.
Puhakka also criticized what he described as a lack of transparency to the public about the potential lockout, beyond limited updates on the TTC’s website and CUPE Local 2 communications.
“When you’re on the system, there’s no announcement that there could be no TTC service this weekend. There’s really nothing being disseminated to riders,” he said. “So I think people can be very surprised. If there’s no service, it might be a disaster.”
