(Toronto) The public transit system should operate normally on Friday in Toronto, since Transit Commission employees and their employer reached an agreement at the last minute to avoid the start of a strike.
Late Thursday evening, talks broke down between the union and the employer, after several months of negotiations.
According to the union, Thursday’s agreement includes gains for workers on key issues like wages, benefits and job security. The union is therefore putting its strike threat “on hold” while it concludes discussions leading to a final agreement.
For its part, the Toronto Transit Commission argued that the agreement is fair and respectful of the important work carried out by union members.
The strike that threatened to be called Friday morning would have paralyzed Canada’s most populous city, idling its fleet of subways, trams and buses. The impacts would also have been felt on the road network, where there would necessarily have been a higher volume of traffic.
The last transit strike in Toronto took place in 2008. It ended after less than two days when the provincial government legislated for employees to return to work, at the request of the mayor.