What to know
- 120 TTC station supervisors have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action as negotiations over their first union contract continue.
- Station supervisors oversee day-to-day subway station operations, including safety inspections, incident response and managing service disruptions.
- CUPE says a strike could mean longer delays, reduced safety oversight and slower responses to emergencies across the subway system.
- The TTC says it continues to negotiate with CUPE with the assistance of a conciliator, while the union has offered to return to bargaining on Aug. 11.
Longer delays, reduced safety oversight and slower responses to emergencies could be in store for TTC riders if more than 100 station supervisors follow through on an overwhelming vote in favour of strike action.
Station supervisors are not new, they have been around since 2010, when they were called station managers. But they unionized just last year and are represented under the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 5585 branch.
Since unionizing, portraits of each supervisor have been hung up at the entrance of the TTC station they’re responsible for managing.
Unlike subway conductors and Provincial Offenses Officers, station supervisors work behind the scenes to ensure subway stations are smoothly run.
As negotiations stall, the TTC have provided a short statement to Now Toronto that states the transit agency is aware of the vote and they will continue to work with CUPE to reach a fair deal.
“We are aware of this vote. The TTC respects and values all of its employees, including the 120 station supervisors within this bargaining unit. With the assistance of a conciliator, we continue to bargain with CUPE to reach a fair first contract,” the statement reads.
However, here’s why you should care if their negotiations with the TTC fall through.
What do TTC station supervisors actually do?
It’s the job of station supervisors to handle the daily management of TTC stations, including conducting safety inspections, investigating incidents on the train and inside stations, and minimizing service disruptions, among other tasks.
But in recent years, CUPE states that station supervisors’ duties have pivoted more to responding to security incidents, emergencies on trains and at stations, and various safety concerns.
What would a strike mean for TTC riders?
Peter Nasevski is the Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Local 5585 and a station supervisor. He says from a TTC rider’s perspective, “a strike by station supervisors directly impacts safety and system reliability.”
“Riders would instantly lose the presence of trained, on-the-ground supervisors who are critical for managing daily disruptions and responding swiftly to medical, security, and operational emergencies,” Nasevski explains.
“Without them on-site to handle crises, de-escalate situations, and coordinate emergency responses, passengers would face longer delays, reduced safety oversight, and a general lack of support when critical incidents occur across the system.”
Could a TTC station supervisors strike actually happen?
Station supervisors with CUPE 5585 have offered to return to the bargaining table on Aug. 11. They are currently waiting for the TTC to respond.
