TTC workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying new contract

TTC workers vote in favour of ratifying new contract More than 80 per cent of the members of Amalgamated Transit Unit (ATU) Local 113 support the three-year agreement.

Members of the union representing nearly 12,000 public transit workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of ratifying their latest contract with the TTC.

More than 80 per cent of the members of Amalgamated Transit Unit (ATU) Local 113 support the three-year agreement.

The results were released on Tuesday shortly after 10 p.m.

The bargaining process between the TTC and ATU Local 113 began earlier this year. Workers had been without a deal since their last contract expired in March.

Negotiations were complex and went down to the wire.

On June 6, less than an hour before the 12:01 a.m. deadline, the union announced that it reached a “framework agreement” with the transit agency. ATU Local 113 said the agreement came after it saw "action" on critical issues such as job security, benefits and wages.

The union, in a June 18 news release, said that its goal was to obtain a new contract that would “reflect the hard work of our members and the service they provide to Torontonians every single day.”

“We’re pleased that through our efforts, Local 113 has won an industry leading contract that prioritizes job security, improved benefits, fair wage increases, and addresses some of the union’s concerns around issues such as cross boundary integration,” ATU Local 113 said.

President Marvin Alfred said he’s pleased that their members have “decided to ratify this industry leading contract.”

“Our bargaining team worked tirelessly to ensure this agreement would recognize the hard work and dedication of Local 113’s transit workers that keep this city moving. We are glad that for the first time in nearly a decade, our union was able to bargain and advocate for our rights,” he said.

To “respect the bargaining process,” Alfred will not be speaking to the media about the specifics of the agreement until the TTC gives its final approval for the workers’ new contract, the union said.

The TTC, meanwhile, called what had been agreed upon as a "tentative deal."

Board chair Jamaal Myers said that it reflects a “commitment to maintaining high standards of service for transit riders while also valuing the hard work that ATU Local 113 members perform each and every day."

Over the next few days, the TTC will be confirming the agreement through its own approvals leading to the 2024-2026 contract being finalized.

If the TTC strike was not averted, it would have been the first time that Toronto saw a job action on its public transit system since 2008. Provincial legislation that designated the TTC an essential service was struck down by a judge last year, opening the door to workers walking off the job.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar.