Dear TTC Board Chair and Commissioners,
On behalf of OPSEU/SEFPO’s 180,000+ members, I am writing to express our full solidarity with the nearly 12,000 TTC workers, represented by ATU Local 113, who are currently bargaining a new collective agreement.
Like many across Toronto, OPSEU/SEFPO members rely on the TTC to get to and from work, to take their children to school, and to navigate this increasingly expensive city. We stand firm in our support of the workers’ demands for a safe, reliable, and accessible TTC for everyone in Toronto.
We believe TTC workers – like all workers – are deserving of good jobs, wages that keep pace with soaring inflation, appropriate staffing levels, and proper funding that keeps the TTC where it belongs: in public hands. These are not unreasonable asks.
Throughout the pandemic, we saw firsthand the TTC workers who kept Toronto moving, who made it possible for frontline workers in other sectors to perform their duties despite the many risks involved. We’ve seen these workers be encouraged in spirit, but it is high time they be appeased in fact with the respect they deserve and a collective agreement that allows them to keep our communities moving safely and reliably.
To that end, I urge each of you to do what is necessary to reach a fair settlement with TTC workers ahead of Friday’s deadline.
In the event a settlement is not reached and a strike commences, you can expect OPSEU/SEFPO members and our allies to be answering the call for support by ATU Local 113, because we know that workers are at their very best when united in collective action.
A fair deal is in the best interest of TTC workers and riders alike. The ball is in your court.
Sincerely,
JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO President