Counselors Are Considering Classifying Transit As Essential Service

Toronto-After the recent wildcat strike on the weekend by the Toronto Transit Union the Toronto City Council went into deliberations on Tuesday as to the current union classification.

The union in Toronto for transit workers are threatening various degrees of labour unrest and activity if the City Council changes their legal designation for the Transit Authority.

At stake is the right to strike, or being prohibited from striking against the city.

The Toronto City council is debating if the Transit Authority should be declared an essential service. If the Transit authority is re classified then the Transit Union would lose its right to strike and be prevented from going out on strike for labor related issues or to strike at all.

The labour union, CUPE is claiming the right to strike is a fundamental right in any democracy.

“We are not prepared to allow our union to lose the right to strike,” said Sid Ryan, head of CUPE, the city union representing transit and transportation workers.

If the Toronto Transit Authority were declared an essential service by the City council then the workers would lose their right to strike as a form of protest.  So possible reclassification is a huge issue facing Toronto and its residents as a whole.