On Friday, September 26, the TTC issued an internal notice that there would be a freeze on all non-union hiring. This is in reaction to the need to find $141-million in savings to get the anticipated 2026 budget deficit down from $232-million to the Mayor’s target of $91-million.
All non-union requirement is subject to the CEO’s approval.
While, in theory, this does not directly affect service or maintenance levels, there is simply no way that the TTC can find $141-million without at least constraining the union side as well. In turn, this has implications for service growth in 2026 especially considering the ongoing loss of productive service hours to traffic congestion and changes in bus dispatching for the shorter range of eBuses. There is also the question of adequate staffing in various maintenance departments.
One current initiative to improve service is headway monitoring and management, and it is not yet clear whether this would be staffed with “management” or “union” positions.
More generally, the question must be asked whether “management” has been growing at a faster rate than other line positions (be they union or non-union) over past years. The TTC used to publish detailed staffing counts as part of the Operating Budget “Blue Books” up to 2019, but these no longer exist, at least not publicly.
A hiring freeze is only a first step in any review because it addresses vacancies that might or might not be in critical roles. Moreover, it does not address the larger question of whether management should be reorganized or downsized.
One hidden issue in staffing is the matter of consultants and outsourcing. Although the use of outside staff is not as severe an issue at TTC as at Metrolinx, this can be the source of much resentment by “in house” staff who are asked to do more with less while the taps continue to flow for outsiders. Indeed, I understand that a former TTC manager is acting as an advisor on contract to the senior team. This shows how careful an organization must be with double standards.
Recently, the TTC has consulted with interested parties including their Planning Advisory Committee, which I attend, on various service proposals and other matters going into the 2026 budget cycle. It is hard to see how such consultation can bear any fruit facing a constrained subsidy target from our “pro-transit” Mayor.
I asked the TTC to respond on this issue on Friday, September 26, and again today, September 29. As of 5:00pm, the only reply is a copy of the corporate notice that I already had from another source. Its text follows the “more” break below.
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Steve Munro 