TTC preparing for possible worker shortage ahead of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination deadline
The TTC says it’s preparing for a possible shortage of workers and delaying schedule planning ahead of the upcoming deadline for when workers need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a letter sent yesterday to the union representing TTC workers, first obtained by the Toronto Star, the TTC said it was delaying the signup sheet for shifts next week due to a potential worker shortage as a result of the mandatory vaccination policy.
TTC spokesperson Stuart Green says the transit commission does not know what the final number of vaccinated employees will be by the Oct. 30 deadline, and therefore needs to push the signup period to accommodate accordingly.
“We can't schedule our service and build our service schedules, you know, and have people in the schedule who may not be working after that date. So it's just really just a contingency just in case,” he told CTV News Toronto on Friday.
The next shift signup date was supposed to be Oct. 20 but will be postponed until Nov. 3.
Every six weeks, TTC bus, streetcar and subway operators sign up for their shifts based on seniority.
In August, the TTC announced its mandatory vaccination policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated by receiving two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month.
Initially, employees had to submit their vaccination status by Sept. 30 but the TTC extended it to Oct. 6.
To date, more than 80 per cent of workers have shared their status, including 76 per cent of unionized employees.
Of those employees, more than 90 per cent said they are fully vaccinated and the remainder have only received one shot.
Green says there is still some paperwork to process as some employees submitted paper printouts of their vaccination receipts instead of online.
Green added that if the workers’ union, ATU Local 113,, hadn’t spent weeks “misleading employees” by encouraging them to withhold their status then this delay in scheduling might have been avoided.
“Frankly, if the union hadn't been playing games and misleading our employees for several weeks regarding sharing their vaccination status we may not even be in this position where we have to send that letter yesterday but here we are now,” he said.
For weeks after the TTC announced it’s policy on Aug, 19, the union advised its 12,000 members to withhold their vaccination status due to concerns with the policy infringing upon human rights.
The union called out TTC CEO Rick Leary’s approach for being “confrontational” and claiming that he “failed repeatedly to share vital information.”
In response, last week the TTC filed an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board seeking to have the union’s actions deemed an illegal strike action.
The next day the union reversed it’s stance and advised members to comply with the TTC’s vaccination policy and to disclose their vaccination status.
Green says the TTC has yet to decide what consequences workers, without a valid exemption, will face if they do not disclose their vaccination status or remain unvaccinated by the deadline.
“That's under discussion. We hope to have a clearer picture early next week, once we have all of our vaccination information in.”
Between now and Oct. 29 Green says the TTC will be educating employees about the benefits of vaccination and will host several workplace vaccination clinics in partnership with Toronto Public Health.
With files from CP24’s Josh Freeman
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
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.
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.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.