TTC union loses bid to block COVID-19 vaccine policy
The TTC's largest union has lost its bid to block a COVID-19 vaccination policy that could see thousands of employees placed on unpaid leave.
Earlier this month, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113 asked the Ontario Superior Court to grant an injunction that would prevent the mandatory vaccine policy from being implemented for a period of up to 60 days.
At the time, the union argued that the pause would give an auditor time to make a decision on a grievance filed over the policy.
In a news release issued Saturday, ATU confirmed the court denied their request.
"We are very disappointed with the court's decision to deny our request to suspend operation of the TTC's mandatory vaccination policy," President of ATU Local 113 Carlos Santos said in a statement.
"We believe the TTC's policy of suspending and terminating unvaccinated workers is unfair and will be struck down at arbitration. While I had hoped the court would put a stop to this policy while we fought in arbitration, I am confident we will ultimately prevail."
TTC staff were given until Nov. 20 to get both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of today, 90 per cent of the transit agency's 15,061 employees have disclosed their status.
According to the TTC, employees who are either unvaccinated or have not shared their status by the end of Nov. 20 will be placed on unpaid leave until they receive their shots. Employees could be terminated if they do not comply by Dec. 31.
It is unclear how many employees will be placed on unpaid leave as of Sunday, but Santos told CTV News Toronto that he knows of just under 2,000 workers who will be impacted.
"It's around 1,200 operators, 500 or 600 maintenance personnel, which varies from a different variety of jobs," he said, adding that he doesn't ask members why they don't want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
"We do encourage vaccination, we do know that it minimizes risk, but at the end of the day, our members have to make the decision on their own."
As a result of a potential staff shortage, the TTC has reduced service on several routes starting Nov. 21.
"I want to thank all the employees who have complied with the Policy and I want to thank all our customers for their support. Together we will get through this," TTC's CEO Rick Leary said in a statement issued Saturday.
"We know that getting vaccinated is one of the most important things that people can do to put the pandemic behind us. As an essential service, we need the TTC to be a safe place for everyone.
Santos said the injunction was never about vaccinations but rather about saving jobs "while still protecting public health." To do this, he suggests implementing a COVID-19 testing regimen for unvaccinated employees similar to what is being done with Mississauga Transit and Brampton Transit.
"We believe that instead of firing workers and cutting service, the TTC should be offering regular testing for the small percentage of workers who do not wish to receive the vaccine," he said.
"Not only are our members not able to provide food on the table for their families, but they are now not serving the citizens of Toronto with public transit and they're actually creating an even bigger crisis and a bigger health and safety risks by now having less service out there and more overcrowding."
Santos said that ATU will continue to fight the policy through an arbitration process.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.