Transit agency expects to save $5 million per year
They will allow supervisors to remotely manage station facilities. About $9 million of the program will be covered by federal transit funding announced in August.
Once the program is fully implemented, it’s expected to save the TTC $5 million a year in labour costs. No workers will be fired, according to Ross, but positions will be eliminated through attrition.
Bob Kinnear, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, said his organization supports the station plan, but he’s concerned that management is moving quickly and has provided few details to employees about their new jobs.
He also raised concerns about safety. Starting in October, the TTC is phasing out the guard position on its subway trains, leaving a single driver to staff each vehicle.
Kinnear expressed concern that in the event of an emergency, a CSA “floating” around a subway station may not be able to help evacuate a train.
“Well, if we’ve got a problem on the platform or the lower mezzanine . . . are they accessible? Do they have the ability to get down there quick enough?” he asked.
The TTC has taken the position that the new staffing model will increase safety, because getting employees outside of their booths will make them more available to assist customers. While the new station model will be a change for TTC customers, it will also take some getting used to for employees.
Kinnear conceded that some collectors who are used to spending their days inside a glass box “are going to be less comfortable” mingling with customers.
Workers who choose not to become CSAs will have a chance of switching to a different job with the transit agency.
Although the TTC board approved the plan on Wednesday, some board members balked at the cost to train employees in their new role. The agency has earmarked $2.5 million for five days of “world-class, experiential” training for about 400 agents and 60 supervisors.
Said Councillor John Campbell (Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre), who sits on the board: “I think it’s an enormous amount of money to be training people in customer service.”