No strike as trades workers, TTC reach tentative wage deal

CBC
·1 min read
A strike by the 650 TTC employees represented by CUPE Local 2 could have meant service disruptions on the transit network. (Michael Wilson/CBC - image credit)
A strike by the 650 TTC employees represented by CUPE Local 2 could have meant service disruptions on the transit network. (Michael Wilson/CBC - image credit)

Hundreds of TTC employees won't go on strike after a last-minute deal was struck with the transit agency late Sunday, avoiding potential service disruptions for riders.

Some 650 electrical and trades workers were set to walk off the job at midnight if negotiations between their union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2, and the TTC failed.

In a statement, CUPE Local 2 president Sumit Guleria called the tentative agreement "a significant win" for members.

"The negotiated wages will provide much needed relief from the rising cost of living, helping our workers cope with increasing expenses and ensuring a fair standard of living for themselves and their families," Guleria said.

TTC CEO Rick Leary said he was "extremely pleased" that the bargaining teams were able to reach a tentative deal.

"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," he said.

Union members will now need to vote to ratify the agreement.

The two sides had been negotiating since February.