As Toronto transit riders face a potentially crippling bus, streetcar and subway strike on Friday, the Ford government is remaining tight-lipped about its response at Queen's Park, including whether it is working on contingency plans to help the thousands of riders who could be affected.
Nearly 12,000 Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) employees, including bus and subway drivers, will strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday, throwing the city's transportation network into chaos as morning commuters head to work.
Workers represented by the United Transport Union will begin their first TTC Strike If the city and the union don't reach an agreement by an early Friday deadline, it would be the worst situation in more than a decade.
The strike could be the first in Toronto since 2008, after provincial legislation that prohibited TTC drivers from striking was struck down by the courts. In 2011, a law introduced by the previous Liberal government designated the TTC an essential service, stripping drivers of the right to strike.
The union said in preparation for possible strike action on Friday it had set up practice picket lines to get workers ready.
However, Ontario's transportation minister did not say what role Queen's Park would play if a strike occurred.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria may direct provincial transit agency Metrolinx to step up service to mitigate the impact of a TTC strike, but he wouldn't say what plans, if any, are in the works.
Metrolinx operates a series of GO train lines with stops around Toronto, and its GO bus network also connects to the TTC subway at many stations.
When repeatedly asked whether he planned to involve Metrolinx in responding to the strike, Saccaria said he hoped a deal could be reached.
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“It’s critical for the city in terms of capacity for the TTC, and we know that, but as the negotiations continue, we’re very hopeful that they can come to a conclusion,” Sarkaria told Global News.
“There's still plenty of time on the table. We're not at the table right now, but we're going to keep working on it and take advantage of any opportunity we have.”
Zakaria did not say whether he planned to instruct Metrolinx to increase service in the event of a strike or if he had held meetings to prepare for a possible strike.
When asked if he would offer Metrolinx resources, he said he would “always look for any opportunity” to help or support transit in Toronto.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said if a strike occurs, Metrolinx would have to step up service to minimize disruption to commuters.
“The provincial government should make sure that Metrolinx is able to fill as many gaps as possible because we know there are a lot of Metrolinx stations within the city of Toronto and we should take advantage of that and increase service on those lines,” Schreiner told Global News.
If contract talks fail and workers strike, the Ford government could intervene with back-to-work legislation — a tool the province has often used in the past to end transit-related strikes.
But the timing of legislation, and opposition support, remains an open question for a government that hopes to end the legislative session in the summer.
Sources tell Global News that the Ontario Legislative Assembly will meet Thursday, hours ahead of the strike deadline, meaning Premier Doug Ford MLAs need to be recalled to Queen’s Park so the Back to Work Bill can be introduced and passed.
Opposition parties also said they would not support the government's efforts to speed up the passage of legislation banning strikes.
“Will I support the return to work bill? Absolutely not,” said New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles flatly.
“We have always hesitated to support back-to-work legislation because it is the only tool working people have to resist (and) stop labor.”
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie would not say whether her party would clear the legislative hurdles to quickly pass back-to-work laws.
“Our party supports the collective bargaining process,” Crombie said. “We support our workers and our union workers, and we think they understand the stakes and the dangers of shutting down the entire city.”
While the province has not said whether it is drafting return-to-work legislation, the provincial government has taken this step before.
In 2018, the government used its majority to pass legislation allowing York University staff to return to work and prevented strike action by the electrical union.
In 2022, the Ford government passed legislation to end strikes by education support workers and require unions to sign contracts that use a “notwithstanding” clause to override the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The province was forced to back down and withdraw the law after facing strong opposition from public sector unions across the country, which threatened a general strike.
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