Mayoral Candidate Weighs In On Designating the TTC As An Essential Service

Toronto - Feb. 24 2010 - With the TTC still very much the focus of public debate over the past few weeks, it is no surprise that talk turns to designating the TTC as an essential service. And with the introduction of a private members’ bill by MPP David Caplan calling for such a designation, this issue warrants a good public debate amongst the mayoral candidates.

One mayoral candidate, JP Pampena, the “Man With the Vision” agrees that designating the TTC as an essential service may not be such a bad idea for the simple fact that taxpayers and citizens should no longer have to endure any inconvenience with the disruption of a service they are ultimately paying for and depend on.

“Eliminating TTC strikes means more than just an end to inconvenience for riders. It means an end to losses for businesses due to employee absences and an end to losses for people unable to get to their jobs and ultimately an end to losses for governments in lost tax revenues,” states Mr. Pampena.

However, to combat legitimate concerns that deeming the TTC an essential service would come with higher arbitrated wage settlement costs, Mr. Pampena proposes that such a designation should come with one condition, namely that the province should be willing to kick in with funding dollars if wage settlements exceed cost of living expense increases.

“At the end of the day, it simply comes down to the fact that Torontonians should no longer be held hostage by TTC labour disputes,” claims Mr. Pampena.

Mr. Pampena welcomes and challenges his fellow opponents to an open debate on this very important issue and promises to make this an election issue in his campaign.