On Monday, May 29, 2006, the Toronto Transit Commission's union staged an illegal strike.
ATU 113 called it something else.

The initial reports were that a small group of maintenance workers had walked off the job, leaving the fleet stranded. The operators had no more notice than the rest of the city.

Not everyone knew that the system was shut down, and were left waiting and stranded. Others were able find other ways around town, and bikes were plentiful throughout the city. Many people had no recourse, though, and spent the day at home.

A cyclist makes good use of the Spadina streetcar's private right-of-way.

By the end of the day, ATU Local 113 was complying with an order to return to work. At 5:30pm, a time when rush-hour service is usually winding down, string of streetcars is just making its way downtown.

The backlash seems inevitable and predictable. The next day, a TTC driver reads an article about the strike in the city's tabloid newspaper.

There are some excellent websites devoted to information and editorials about public transit in and around the city. My two favourites are Transit Toronto and Steve Munro's Web Site. Click on the links to check them out.

posted by Matthew Robertson  # 30.5.06