Local 113 “United to Win” Campaign Secures Historic Contract Win
After months of contract talks, a strike threat, and an intense campaign, our Local 113-Toronto, ON, members working for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) secured a historic contract that has set the standard in the industry across Canada.
This win did not come easy. It was the result of the commitment of the Local’s leadership to embark on the comprehensive and unprecedented “United to Win” campaign to mobilize the membership, engage labor allies, educate the public, and pressure elected officials.
It began earlier this year with the expiration of the Local’s contract with the TTC on March 31. The Local’s President/Business Agent Marvin Alfred, the Local’s top officers, and the Executive Board sought to wield its newly won right to strike after a decade-long legal fight to get the most they could get for their membership.
Three Key Contract Objectives
The “United to Win” campaign focused on three key objectives. First being wage increases that would keep up with high inflation in one of the most expensive metro areas in Canada, the greater Toronto area. Second was the demand to stop contracting out our work and put a halt on private contractors from gaining a foothold in one of the largest transit agencies where ATU members work. Third, and definitely not least, was achieving language on cross-boundary work, language that would put a stop to outside transit agencies working in TTC’s jurisdiction, threatening our job security.
While the campaign was ambitious, the Local with help from the International trained a more than 200-strong steering committee. From there, the Local waged a signature petition, generating thousands of one-on-one member conversations on the contract and our strike power, as well as serving as a test of the success of the steering committee. The Local passed with flying colors, yielding over 8,000 signatures among 11,200 active members.
A Critical Job Action Committee
But the Local was just getting started. It activated a Job Action Committee (JAC), a formal committee as outlined in their by-laws. Originally meant to be five people, the Local doubled it to ten and picked shop leaders with followings at their respective properties. The JAC kicked the campaign into a higher gear from there.
While the earlier petition was successful, a digital letter action upped the ante with over 14,000 letters sent to TTC executives. This generated broad support for the campaign among the membership, as well as the Steering Committee leadership and the steward base.
A Strike War Room
With this in mind, the Local activated its JAC to plan a strike vote and picket line logistics. First, the JAC turned its board room into a war room. Using maps, notes, and giant Post-it boards, they identified fifteen picket locations among the various TTC properties that would have the best impact. From there, they divided up the fifteen locations into five zones to set up a clear structure of material delivery and a personnel structure for each of the JAC members to be captains of these zones, recruiting picket captains for each location.
Having the war room set up was vital. The JAC was able to recruit 311 picket captains and keep a running tracker reflecting what they wrote on the war room walls. Each morning a debrief was held on how property visits were going, where attention needed to go, and plans on how the campaign would escalate.
Monumental Strike Vote
By the end of April, a strike vote was held. This was done digitally to maximize turnout, send a message directly to TTC management during bargaining, and check off one of the regulatory requirements for a legal strike footing. In just two days, 9,094 members voted with 98% in favor of a strike. This was one of the highest turnouts for a strike vote in the ATU’s history!
As bargaining continued, a conciliator was appointed. Once they filed a no-board report, Local 113 had 17 days until they would be in a legal strike footing.
This then led to strike shift enrollment, which, by May, over 9,300 enrolled for strike duty. By late May, Local 113 won a legal appeal on their right to strike and set a strike date for June 7, the earliest they could legally strike. The JAC then led practice pickets at Wilson and Hillcrest to give a taste of what was to come if TTC did not give them an offer reflecting what we were worth.
Midnight Landmark Tentative Agreement
By June, bargaining continued every day. Pressure was building and leafletting actions with allies, along with the practice pickets, became the talk of the town. The night of June 6, tense bargaining yielded a tentative agreement just minutes before the strike deadline of 12:01 AM. TTC noticed the JAC distributing strike materials at each of the picket locations and saw that the threat was real.
“This contract is a breakthrough for public transit and transit workers everywhere,” said Local President/Business Marvin Alfred. “Thank you to our members, and our friends and allies. By standing strong together, we were able to achieve gains that would never have been possible through arbitration.”
The three-year tentative agreement included wage gains that now lead the industry and raise the bar for transit workers all across Canada. Not only was contracting out stopped but it was reversed. Local 113 now represents 130 cleaners previously employed by an outside private contractor. The power was so real at the table Local 113 bargained to organize new members. Limits on cross-boundary work were also achieved, leading Local 113 to check off three of its main priorities.
Contract Ratified
The entire Executive Board recommended the tentative agreement. Informational meetings were held, and agreement language changes and highlights were distributed right away. By the middle of June, an overwhelming majority of Local 113 voted to ratify the contract, with many noting it’s the best they’ve seen.
“I’m proud of our Local 113 members. They demonstrated their willingness to fight to protect good union jobs for themselves and future generations of TTC workers,” said International President John Costa. “I applaud them for their strength, solidarity, and unity to secure a contract that recognizes their commitment and dedication as frontline heroes to provide safe and reliable transportation that the people of Toronto rely on each day.”
It cannot be overstated that the JAC broke every field mobilization record from previous ATU campaigns. From the petition, letter action, strike vote, picket captains recruited and trained, and members enrolled for strike duty, we reached the highest of highs, setting the standard for the whole Union!
So how did we win exactly? The source of our power is in our members. They showed up when it counted, and the TTC had to concede that in the end. Local 113 won a great contract through it all, with no concessions. Now, the JAC is ready for whatever comes next!