Agreement reached to avoid Toronto transit strike

Riders who rely on the TTC can breathe a sigh of relief as subways, streetcars, and buses will run on Friday after an agreement was reached Thursday evening to avoid a strike.

Riders who rely on the TTC can breathe a sigh of relief as subways, streetcars, and buses will run on Friday after an agreement was reached Thursday evening to avoid a strike.

The Amalgamated Transit Unit (ATU) Local 113, which represents 11,500 frontline TTC workers, in a statement less than an hour before the 12:01 a.m. deadline, said it reached a "framework settlement" with the transit agency.

Meanwhile, the TTC called what had been agreed upon as a "tentative deal."

"We do not have a deal this time. We have a framework," Marvin Alfred, ATU Local 113 president, told reporters at the Sheraton Hotel, where the negotiations were held.

"We want to make sure that all the gaps are looked after before we take something to our members. We have to make sure it's ironed out, to make sure it's polished for our members."

The union said the agreement was reached after it saw "action" on critical issues such as job security, benefits and wages.

"Finally, the TTC opening up and provide some authentic offers that allow us to have some assurances to protect our members job security rights and benefits," Alfred said on what changed the last couple of hours. Earlier in the day, he said there had been no progress at the bargaining table, and as a result, a strike was imminent.