# Well, bother. It looks like there might be a transit strike in Toronto. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888 "2008-04-18T14:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/1 "2008-04-18T14:21:45Z")
[Link](http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/415834). People are making contingency plans. Mine involves a lot of walking, because there’s no way I’m chaining my bike up at Islington when I catch the Mississauga bus to work. I guess I’ll be getting my cardio exercise next week outside the gym. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/2 "2008-04-18T14:53:51Z")
I spoke to Adam Giambrone back in October and the TTC knew at that point that the chances of a strike were very high. I’ll be very disappointed if something doesn’t get worked out by Monday. I understand the situation and I’m not anti-union but with increasing gas prices and university exams currently underway this is not a good time to shut things down. At least it’s nice outside. I’m predicting a 2-day strike…they’ll be back at work on Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/3 "2008-04-18T18:01:01Z")
First they tell you to use public transportation, then the workers strike. Then what do you do? My car never goes on strike. Well, I’ll take that back, it does strike on occasion. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/4 "2008-04-18T18:48:45Z")
It seems like the TTC is always on strike. How many unions work for them? Or do they only negotiate only short-term fixes and so have to strike again to get more? A while ago the STM drivers voted to strike, but they haven’t yet. They did stop wearing their uniforms and other little non-disruptive things like that, though. I don’t know where those negotiations are at. Good luck with your commute! ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/5 "2008-04-18T18:57:30Z")
There was an illegal one day strike in May 2006 caused by support staff walking out. TTC management requested that the drivers and collectors not cross the picket lines in order to avoid disputes. Prior to that, the last legal strike was in 1999 and lasted for 2 days. All 3 unions that work for the TTC had gone on strike and all 3 signed new contracts causing the strike to end. Neigotiations occurred in 2002 and 2005 without a strike happening. The previous strike happened in 1991. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/6 "2008-04-18T19:46:35Z")
I’m probably remembering the 2002 and 2005 negotiations (there must have been talks of a strike, if not an actual vote to), and the '06 one. I didn’t actually live in Toronto (I was in Hamilton from 2000-2006) so I heard about it but wasn’t affected, so clearly my memory isn’t accurate! It still seems like 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006 and now 2008 are very, very frequent contract negotiations. No one negotiates things for longer than 3 years? ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/7 "2008-04-20T22:00:27Z")
Strike averted…it’s nice to be wrong sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/8 "2008-04-20T22:46:31Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] Strike averted…it’s nice to be wrong sometimes. [/QUOTE] Yay! I just got back from an afternoon in Roche’s Point and the old beach towns towards Sutton, and logged on to check the news. Evidently the negotiations went to the last minute, and even into overtime. [Toronto Star link](http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/416457) [Globe and Mail link](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080420.wttcstrikedeal0420/BNStory/National/home) ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/9 "2008-04-20T23:07:29Z")
Oh…so you missed the breaking news at 5:15 that they were ordering pizza. It’s fun to watch newsfolk analyze the ordering of a pizza and how it relates to labour negotiations. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/10 "2008-04-20T23:46:09Z")
Oh, good. That means I can continue riding my bike. I’d planned on walking because I figured there wouldn’t be a single pole I could lock it to. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/11 "2008-04-20T23:50:24Z")
How much money are these guys getting now? ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-bother-it-looks-like-there-might-be-a-transit-strike-in-toronto/445888/12 "2008-04-21T03:13:47Z")
The previous contract set the **top rate** for an operator at $26.58/hour (gross $55,286.40/year assuming 40 hours/week, 52 weeks/year). So at a 3% raise per year, at the end of the contract it’ll be $60,412.94. I don’t know what the wage scale is.