A last-minute deal Toronto Transit Authority The union representing nearly 12,000 transport workers also reached a deal that averted major shutdowns of buses, trams and subways.
TTC service in Toronto was running normally on Friday.
“I'm very pleased that we were able to reach a tentative framework agreement with ATU Local 113 and avoid any strike and service disruptions,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary.
“This is a fair deal that is affordable for the TTC and respects the important work that the 11,500 members of ATU Local 113 do every day to keep our system safe and our service reliable.”
Leary said they will not release details about the agreement because it still needs to be approved by union members and ratified by the TTC board.
Meanwhile, ATU Local 113 said they were “delighted” to have reached a “framework agreement with the TTC that allows us to suspend our strike.”
“We will continue to work through the details to reach a fair and reasonable contract that we will recommend to our members for approval,” the union said. “Our demands are reasonable. We are asking the TTC to guarantee job security, protect our jobs from outsourcing, and improve benefits for current members and retirees.”
As the 12:01 a.m. Friday deadline approached, negotiations between the city and the Amalgamated Transit Union continued into the night as riders and union members waited to learn whether a strike would begin.
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If no agreement is reached, TTC workers will take part in their first strike since 2008, leaving commuters in the country's most populous city stranded on their way to work.
Instead, the two sides reached an agreement with the clock ticking and many already investigating alternative plans.
Thursday night was filled with news from unions and the TTC.
At around 5:30 p.m., the union issued a fiery statement, claiming that “no progress” had been made in the negotiations and threatening that its workers would strike within a few hours.
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Shortly thereafter, union officials began to soften their stance, saying “some progress” had been made, while the TTC continued to say it was “optimistic” about reaching a deal.
Ahead of the deadline, the union outlined some of the issues it believes led to the breakdown of the talks.
ATU Local 113 president Marvin Alfred said the issue is not just about wages, but also about job security, benefits and the “integrity” of the TTC network.
The union also said it wants protection against the work being contracted out to third parties and against the transfer of cross-border service to other transit operators in the Greater Toronto Area.
The entire evening's negotiations took place behind closed doors, with only brief statements to keep a watching and waiting public informed.
Toronto TTC workers have not had the right to strike in more than a decade, since 2011, when legislation was enacted designating the TTC as an essential service.
A 2023 court decision, upheld by the Court of Appeal in May, overturned that law and restored the right to strike for TTC workers. Ahead of Friday's deadline, the union said workers are organizing practice pickets to re-familiarize themselves with the strike format.
Approximately 1.3 million people use Toronto's transit system every weekday.
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