Toronto's transit union has rejected the TTC's initial contract offer, putting workers in a legal position to strike on April 1.

Workers voted 99.2 per cent against the offer.

Drivers, ticket collectors and maintenance workers all cast their ballots Wednesday. The contract would have seen a wage increase of two per cent a year.

The union isn't happy with concessions about health care benefits and says the offer doesn't address mounting safety concerns for drivers.

Wages and job security are also stumbling blocks. The TTC has reportedly offered two percent in wage increases a year over the four years of the deal.

"This is not workers against commuters," one union member told CTV Toronto before casting his ballot. "Let's get away from that. Let's get to the real issue here -- a garbage offer was made."

Before the vote, TTC Chairman Adam Giambrone had said negotiations were progressing the way they normally do.

"This is not unexpected and it's following a pretty normal procedure," he said of a likely vote of rejection.

"(The first offer) is almost always rejected," he said. "It gives the union and management a chance to come back to the table and begin serious negotiations.

Bob Kinnear, chief of the 8,000-strong Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, said Monday that workers don't want to strike but won't accept the current conditions.

"We don't want to take away services from the public," he said during a news conference Monday. "In saying that, if the city puts us into a position, we will most definitely unify our membership and take whatever action we deem necessary at the time."

The two sides have been at the bargaining table for the past three weeks. They have until April 1 -- the strike deadline -- to come to an agreement.

Coun. Joe Mihevc, who is also vice-chair of the TTC, said the city will do what it can to avoid a wildcat strike such as the one that paralyzed the city in May 2006.

"We're going to do everything we can to please them... absolutely everything we can," he told CTV Toronto Monday. "While at the same time, we are conscious of the fact there is a taxpayer that needs also to have limits honoured. So somewhere in there we will find the best possible deal we can."

Commuters riding the TTC Wednesday morning told CTV Toronto a strike would be a real hassle to deal with.

"That would be bad for us," said Adam Munroe while on the Queen Streetcar with his kids. "We use the TTC all the time, we live downtown so there's no point in driving around."

Joseph Safaia, a real estate agent, said he needs public transit to do his job effectively.

"I respect the TTC employees, they do a fantastic job, they should be recognized and their safety is crucial," he said. "But they should hash out the reasons reasonably and a strike would be the last thing anybody would want."

One student said he's worried contract battles will result in further fare hikes. Currently a Metropass for students costs about $90.

Giambrone said the city doesn't have much money to negotiate with but they are doing their best.

"We're working for a fair deal for our employees that respects that the rider has to pay some of that increase and the government has to pay some of that increase," he said. "And at city hall, there isn't a lot of extra money."

Giambrone also reminded commuters to keep things in perspective as negotiations are still in the early days and have a long way to go.

"I don't think we should be blowing this out of context right now," he said. "We won't know for a number of weeks if we actually have a problem. Clearly negotiations have to be allowed to unfold."

With files from CTV Toronto's Roger Peterson