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Union officials say Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) station supervisors voted overwhelmingly in favour of authorizing a strike mandate, ahead of a busy back to school season.
In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for CUPE 5585, which represents 115 members, said 88 of its members participated in last week’s vote, with 97 per cent voting in favour of strike action as negotiations for their first collective agreement stalled.
“Violence and disorder on the TTC have increased in recent years, with station supervisors increasingly dispatched to respond to emergencies and security-related and customer incidents,” Jesse Mintz said.
The union did not specify a timeline for the strike. However, it said station supervisors organized with CUPE 5585 in 2025, raising concerns about workplace safety and staffing. They are now more than a year into bargaining their first contract, according to the union’s release.
Mintz added the TTC is trying to establish split shifts — something members feel would disrupt their work-life balance, reduce protections around sick leave and freeze or eradicate premiums. Split shifts are a work schedule divided into two or more chunks of time in a single day, generally divided by an unpaid break that is longer than an average meal recess.
CUPE 5585 spokesperson Jesse Mintz said the TTC is trying to establish split shifts — something members feel would disrupt their work-life balance, reduce protections around sick leave and freeze or eradicate premiums. (Alex Lupul/CBC)
“TTC management is trying to impose a contract that would make these jobs more challenging and less secure while failing to address workers’ safety concerns,” Mintz said, noting the split shift contract would also impose substandard short and long-term disability conditions when compared to other unionized TTC employees.
In a statement to CBC Toronto, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the public transit organization is continuing to bargain, with the help of a conciliator, in the hopes of reaching a fair first contract.
“The TTC respects and values all of its employees,” Green said.
According to Wednesday’s release, station supervisors have the task of keeping subway stations safe and orderly, with duties ranging from conducting inspections, to investigating or controlling station incidents, to minimizing service disruptions.
“The reality of the job has increasingly shifted toward responding to security-related incidents, emergencies and safety concerns, making station supervisors a critical frontline presence,” Mintz said.
“Their presence throughout stations and on trains is vital to observing and reporting incidents as they occur, making Station Supervisors an important set of eyes on the system and an essential link in the rapid identification and reporting of safety and security concerns.”
In its statement, CUPE 5585 said it remains committed to negotiating a fair first collective agreement. The union added it has offered to return to the bargaining table on Aug. 11 and is awaiting a response from TTC management.
