CUPE Local 2 bargaining update

I am extremely pleased that we’ve been able to reach a tentative agreement with CUPE Local 2 and avoid any job action and service disruptions.

This is a fair deal that is affordable for the TTC and respectful of the important work the 650 members of CUPE Local 2 do every day to keep our system safe and our service reliable.

As the agreement still needs to be ratified by the union membership and the TTC Board, we cannot share details at this time.

I want to thank the TTC Board for its guidance and leadership as well as members of both bargaining teams for their hard work to reach this agreement without any negative impact on TTC customers.

Rick Leary
TTC CEO

The TTC and CUPE Local 2 have been working to reach a fair and negotiated collective agreement. Talks have been productive and professional and I’m pleased that we are still at the table.

CUPE Local 2 represents about 650 electrical skilled trades workers who keep our subway and streetcar systems running safely and reliably.

While I remain optimistic we can reach an agreement at the table that prevents a strike, we also need to be honest and let our employees know there could be job action next week that impacts their work. In addition, we need to let our customers know that there could be impacts to their TTC trips.

Labour negotiations are not typically easy or straightforward, and this is the first time in 13 years TTC employees have had the ability to strike.

However, I believe the mandate our Board has approved, and our offers within that mandate, is fair to the workers and affordable for the TTC and we will continue to negotiate in good faith.

In the unlikely event a deal cannot be reached and job action commences, we will let our employees and customers know what the impacts are as soon as possible.

Public updates will be posted at www.ttc.ca/LabourDisruption as well as through @TTCNotices and @TTCHelps on X. We will also make sure that there will be direct communication with employees.

Rick Leary
TTC CEO

The TTC and CUPE Local 2 (electrical skilled trades) have been working to reach a fair negotiated collective agreement. Employees in this group include streetcar overhead and subway signal maintainers, among others.

Although negotiations are ongoing, Local 2 has advised that its members will begin strike action on Monday, April 22, should an agreement not be reached. Both Local 2 and TTC representatives remain at the bargaining table with the intention of reaching a negotiated settlement without the need for job action.

Last November, the TTC Board approved a bargaining mandate. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to Local 2 employees while being affordable for the taxpayers of Toronto.

I am committed to keeping our employees and customers apprised of any changes related to these negotiations in a timely manner. We encourage all our employees to check our website at www.ttc.ca/strike for the most current updates.

In the meantime, we will continue to negotiate in good faith with the ultimate goal being an agreement that avoids job action and service disruptions.

Rick Leary
TTC CEO

The TTC and CUPE Local 2 (electrical skilled trades) have been working to reach a fair negotiated collective agreement. Employees in this group include streetcar overhead and subway signal maintainers among others.

Although negotiations are ongoing, yesterday, CUPE Local 2 members voted in favour of a strike mandate. While members are technically in a legal strike position now, both CUPE and TTC representatives remain at the bargaining table with the intention of reaching a negotiated settlement without the need for job action.

Last November, the TTC Board approved a bargaining mandate. We’re committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to Local 2 employees while being affordable for the taxpayers of Toronto.

In the wake of a 2023 court ruling, this is the first time in nearly 13 years any unionized TTC employees would be able to take job action, up to and including a work stoppage. Again, our hope is that Local 2 remains at the table and its members do not initiate job action.

I want to assure everyone that we have contingency plans in place and we will keep everyone advised of them once we know what Local 2 decides to do. Our contingency plans are designed to allow us to preserve as much service as possible while also respecting the rights of this group of employees. The plans also take into consideration the ability of other employees to do their jobs during a labour disruption and how we would accommodate them.

My top commitment remains the safety of our employees and customers, and delivering reliable service without compromise. However, I also believe that any job action could have an impact on the TTC’s ability to deliver full service without disruption.

The TTC values the challenging work all our 17,000 employees do every day to deliver safe and reliable service to millions of riders every week – the employees in Local 2 are an important part of our operations.

I am committed to keeping our customers and employees apprised of any changes related to these negotiations in a timely manner. We encourage all our employees and our customers to check our website at www.ttc.ca/labourdisruption for the most current updates.

In the meantime, we will continue to negotiate in good faith with the ultimate goal being an agreement that avoids job action and service disruptions.

Rick Leary
TTC CEO