as a possible transit strike looms, the talk, mainly on radio call-in shows is whether or not the Toronto transit system should be made an essential service. We have this debate every time that the Toronto’s transit workers approach or are in a legal position to strike. as soon as the strike is either averted or ended, the matter is quickly forgotten and life goes on as normal.
at the time of this writing it is uncertain whether the buses, streetcars and subways will grind to a halt this week. There are two main unresolved issues between management and the operators and other transit employees. The union is asking for a 3 per cent wage increase while the city is offering 2 per cent. The second major issue; one that the union appears to have a valid point, is loosening the rules that discipline operators for arriving at their destination more than four minutes early. Some transit workers have been fired for not arriving at the proper time.
The essential service debate seems to have been toned down this year, probably a result of the fact that most Toronto residents don’t actually think that the strike will take place. after all, David Miller is the mayor and it is hard to believe that he will let his union buddies go out on strike for a mere 1 per cent. We’re all pretty sure that the TTC will cave into the wage demands of the union. as well, they won’t have to be out too long before they lose more than the one per cent that they are seeking. and it is hard to believe that the policy of firing a driver for arriving more than four minutes early cannot be resolved.
as inconvenient as having no public transit will be to Canada’s largest city, the TTC should not be made an essential service. The only valid argument for making it essential is the effect that the increase in traffic will have on emergency vehicles in a city that is already suffering from terminal gridlock. There is of course a real possibility that lives could be lost if firefighters, police and paramedics are stuck in traffic and not able to reach their destinations quickly. Other than these life and death situations, public transit can hardly be said to be "essential".
It has been shown in the past that when the TTC starts up again after a work stoppage it takes a long time before ridership increases to pre-strike levels. Much like those in other parts of the world who manage to carry on with their lives in countries that have been ravaged by earthquakes or tsunamis, pampered Torontonians manage to adjust to life without public transit. The first day of a transit strike or walkout is like the first day of a winter snowstorm. Many motorists still drive as if the roads are clear and the result is pure chaos. and on the first day of a transit strike, it is not unusual to see cars blocking intersections from four different directions making it impossible to move. But people can and do adjust. They walk, ride bicycles and form car pools. Employers stagger work hours to take the pressure off rush hours. If the strike goes on long enough, which this one will not, people get used to "the new normal". Some find their other options preferable to sitting on an overcrowded bus and this is why many transit riders hesitate to go back to using the public system.
Toronto’s transit system is convenient — but hardly essential.
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