Premier Dalton McGuinty says the Ontario government would consider declaring the Toronto Transit Commission an essential service in the near future, removing the right to strike.

"If there was some kind of approach made during the course of the next three years ... by representatives of the city of Toronto saying, 'We have decided ourselves that it would be a good thing for us to have our public transit system declared essential,' then that is something that we at Queen's Park would have to consider," McGuinty told reporters on Friday.

However, with nearly 8,900 transit workers set to strike at 4 a.m. Monday morning, the premier wouldn't discuss possible back-to-work legislation.

But McGuinty said the province wouldn't tolerate a transit strike for long, noting previous governments quickly ordered an end to any such labour disruptions.

The premier said he is optimistic the union and TTC management cam hammer out a new contract deal this weekend.

Union chief Bob Kinnear said Thursday if he isn't presented with a better offer by 4 p.m. Sunday, workers would begin shutting down the city's buses, streetcars and subways, and workers would be instructed not to show up for work.

Kinnear said a full-blown walkout would occur at 4 a.m. Monday. A strike will strand about 1.5 million commuters.

College and university students are expressing concern because many have final exams next week.

Kinnear said he gave three days notice to give Mayor David Miller time to step in and solve the dispute. Miller, however, is in China on a trade mission and will not return to Toronto until Sunday.

Unionized TTC members have been in a legal strike position since April 1. The main sticking points in the contract tracks involve wages, compensation for sick or injured workers, health-care benefits and pensions.

Both Miller and TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said they are optimistic a new deal can be reached during ongoing negotiations this weekend.

On Friday, Toronto councillors Cliff Jenkins and Cesar Palacio said they are putting forth a motion to make the TTC an essential service.

Previous TTC chairman Howard Moscoe is weary of any such move. He told CTV Toronto doing so would cost the cash-strapped city even more money.

Meanwhile, Ontario's opposition critics blasted McGuinty for injecting himself into the middle of the transit situation.

"There's no question that the TTC is crucial ... to the economy of Toronto and the economy of Ontario,'' said Conservative Leader John Tory. "I think this is the wrong time to embark on a discussion on whether you should change the existing regime and make the TTC an essential service.''

NDP critic Peter Kormos went even further, accusing McGuinty of trying to orchestrate a TTC strike.

"It was regrettable and indeed unfortunate that the premier would inject himself into these negotiations in that manner,'' Kormos said. "Mr. McGuinty may well be engineering a strike and he should not have imposed his views in that way.''

In anticipation of the possible job action, the city of Toronto has passed a contingency plan. It calls for:

  • A parking ban from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on major thoroughfares to improve traffic flow
  • Opening up some bus-only lanes to make them carpool lanes
  • Free parking at 14 community centres and arenas to ensure there is ample parking for carpoolers

With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness and files from The Canadian Press