When the TTC’s
Amalgamated Transit Union local 113 went on strike in May 2006,
Toronto was caught by surprise. Few outside the commission knew
labour relations had deteriorated so badly. A year and a half later,
what are the top employee issues at the TTC?
In February
2006 carbon monoxide fumes seriously injured several tunnel workers
and in April 2007 another work accident left one employee dead and
two badly injured. ATU president Bob Kinnear says some managers are
not heeding workers’ safety concerns and an external firm is to be
brought in to improve communications. However, he says the TTC is
delaying. Chief General Manager Gary Webster states the agency takes
safety issues “very seriously” and he is “anxious to get on with
it,” adding staff will soon seek approval on a chosen consultant.
At the heart of
last year’s day-long walkout was a dispute over rescheduling
station-cleaning staff to work nights. Kinnear says, “It was
supposed to improve cleanliness -- it has not.” The TTC chief
admits, “It’s fair to say that in some respects the system was not
cleaner and it was difficult to identify any improvement as a result
of making those workforce changes.” Neither man would discuss the
legal or other proceedings that have ensued, including whether the
union is financially responsible for TTC losses that day.
A second stated
catalyst for the wildcat strike was the safety of drivers from abuse
-- including spitting and verbal or physical assault. Kinnear
contends the agency has delayed installing movable plastic barriers,
citing problems with light glare and whether drivers can decide when
to use the screens. Webster says the real challenge is balancing the
need for operators to interact with customers and the TTC’s
“responsibility to take reasonable action to protect our employees,
and that’s the purpose of the barrier.”
Another
unresolved item is the lack of a job description for drivers.
Vehicle operator duties have never been formally defined, though the
two sides agreed over five years ago to do so. Kinnear says the TTC
has been dragging its heels, despite swiftly classifying
non-unionized positions -- giving some managers big pay increases.
Webster agreed the issue has been “going on for a long time” but
would not comment on the case the TTC is currently arguing before a
“third party referee.”
Kinnear points
out the union expects wage increases out of this process, and both
confirmed such pay scales are to be decided independently of
contract negotiations, set to begin early next year. A TTC driver’s
pay currently starts at $19 per hour, rising to $26.60 hourly.