Union calls for TTC CEO's resignation after near-miss accident "cover-up"

Sep 16 2021, 6:25 pm

The largest union representing TTC workers is calling for the resignation of the TTC’s CEO after an alleged cover-up of a near-miss accident last summer.

The union, ATU Local 113, issued a press release on Wednesday stating that “TTC Chief Executive Officer Rick Leary should resign or be fired because of his year-long attempt to cover up the June 12, 2020, near-catastrophic subway crash near Osgoode Station at Queen St. West and University.”

The almost-accident was revealed to the public in June of this year following a Toronto Star investigation. The TTC then discussed the details of the incident during a July 2021 board meeting.

According to the TTC, northbound Train 114 was at St. Andrews station when an emergency alarm was activated, and the train paused its service to investigate. Because of the delay in service, a southbound train, Train 123, was then directed to unload its passengers and pull into the “pocket track” — a dead-end section between the two main tracks — so that it could switch to the northbound track to make up for the delayed train.

As it was doing this, Train 114 was cleared and given the go-ahead to start heading north. But just seconds later, and despite still having a red light, Train 123 began pulling out of the pocket track. The red light, the TTC says, was in the driver’s blind spot because the train wasn’t in the correct position.

The guard at the back of Train 123 saw Train 114 approaching from behind and alerted the operator, who then hit the emergency brakes. The trains came within about a metre of each other.

According to ATU 113, the incident was not reported by TTC management to anyone at the time.

“It was truly inexcusable that the person in charge of the TTC should not inform the Commission Board, the Mayor and the public that Toronto’s subway system had been less than one second from a horrific disaster,” said Carlos Santos, president of ATU Local 113. “Because it was deliberately not reported – it didn’t just slip Rick Leary’s mind – vital questions were not asked: What happened, why did it happen and what is being done to prevent it from happening again?”

The TTC, however, says that an investigation was done following the incident. A report, dated February 3, 2021, was completed by Transit Systems Engineering. Large chunks of the version of the report that was posted online following the Toronto Star investigation are redacted — something the union takes issue with.

“Someone does not want the public to know what is under those black bars,” Santos said. “That someone could only be Leary.”

Despite the union’s calls, the TTC is not entertaining the idea of letting Leary go.

“We’re not going to dignify the union’s statement with a response except to say that the evidence shows the facts of how this incident occurred,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green told Daily Hive.

“Mr. Leary looks forward to continuing to serve as the TTC’s CEO and working with the 16,000 incredible employees of this organization to safely provide our customers with the best service possible.”

Laura HanrahanLaura Hanrahan

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