Meeting No. 1886
Friday, July 20, 2007

An emergency meeting of the Toronto Transit Commission was held in Committee Room 1, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario on Friday, July 20, 2007 commencing at 1:10 p.m.

A. Giambrone (Chair), J. Mihevc (Vice-Chair), B. Saundercook, P. Milczyn, G. De Baeremaeker, M. Thompson, S. Bussin, S. Hall and A. Perruzza (Commissioners), G. Webster (Chief General Manager), V. Rodo (General Manager – Executive & General Secretary), R. Cornacchia (General Manager – Operations), J. Sepulis (General Manager – Engineering & Construction), S. Blakey (Executive Director - Human Resources), A. Smith (Acting Chief Marketing Officer), M. Roche (Chief Financial Officer), W. Buffett (Assistant General Secretary) and F. Stanois (Coordinator – Secretariat Services) were present.

A. Giambrone was in the Chair.

Declaration of Interest – Municipal Conflict of Interest Act – NIL

Prior to commencing with the agenda, Chair Giambrone moved that the commission waive section 13 of its procedural by-law in order that public presentations could be heard at this meeting.

The motion by Chair Giambrone carried, with two-thirds of the members present voting in favour.


1. 2007-2008 TTC Operating Budget:
Response to Request for Cost Cuts

G. Webster, Chief General Manager gave an overhead slide presentation entitled, “Toronto Transit Commission Response to Requests for Budget Cuts.”

The Commission also had before it a memorandum dated July 19, 2007 from G. Webster, Chief General Manager entitled, “TTC Budget Cuts.”

The Commission received the presentation and memorandum for information.

The Commission also heard public presentations from the following individuals:

  • Steve Munro
  • David Fisher
  • Susan Gapka
  • Sam Savona

The Commission received the public presentations.

Chair Giambrone moved that service additions planned for September 2007 to reduce overcrowding be deferred indefinitely.

Chair Giambrone advised that his motion would require a re-opening with a two-thirds vote.

Chair Giambrone moved that the Commission re-open its earlier decision regarding the implementation of service additions for September 2007.

The motion by Chair Giambrone carried, with two-thirds of the members present voting in favour of the re-opening.

With the matter re-opened, Chair Giambrone called for a vote on his motion.
The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that the Mount Dennis Garage opening be postponed until at least January 2008.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that the commission meeting of august 29, 2007 be cancelled to allow staff time to prepare properly, and that a regular commission meeting be convened on September 12, 2007.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff report back on all options for a fare increase to the next regular meeting of the Commission, including scenarios that minimize the impact on Metropass prices.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair, begin a community consultation and communication process, providing an interim report to the next regular Commission meeting on the following:

1. All options for a fare increase.

2. Consultation with the affected communities on the reduction or elimination of service on the poorest-performing bus routes in the city, including the notification of local councillors of consultations within their wards.

3. Mechanisms for the possible elimination of service on the Sheppard subway.

Part 1 of Chair Giambrone’s motion carried.

Part 2 of Chair Giambrone’s motion carried.

Commissioner Thompson requested a recorded vote on Part 3 of Chair Giambrone’s motion.

For: Chair Giambrone, Vice-Chair Mihevc, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner Bussin, Commissioner Saundercook, Commissioner Perruzza, Commissioner De Baeremaeker

Against: Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Milczyn

Part 3 of Chair Giambrone’s motion carried by a majority of 5.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff:

  1. Report back to the next regular Commission meeting on a strategy for minimizing or eliminating layoffs, with specific reference to savings through attrition in the TTC workforce in the event that service cuts are made.
  2. Communicate to ttc employees that the commission prefers this option.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff advise the city manager of the identified opportunities and actions for cost containment, with updates as they become available.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff, using 1996 as the base year, report back at the next regular commission meeting on each and every new position that has been added, including front-line, back-end, supervisory and management, with a business case analysis for each position.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Chair Giambrone moved that staff be directed to conduct a study of the economic and environmental impact of service reductions and decreasing transit use.

The motion by chair Giambrone carried.

Commissioner Milczyn moved that the commuter ferry study approved by the Commission be deferred indefinitely.

Chair Giambrone advised that the motion by Commissioner Milczyn would require a re-opening with a two-thirds vote.

Chair Giambrone moved that the commission re-open its earlier decision regarding the commuter ferry study.

Commissioner Milczyn requested a recorded vote.

For: Commissioner Milczyn, Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Saundercook

Against: Chair Giambrone, Vice-Chair Mihevc, Commissioner Bussin, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner De Baeremaeker, Commissioner Perruzza

The motion lost by a majority of 3.

Commissioner Milczyn moved the following:

  1. That the Chief General Manager report to the Commission on wage concessions that can be achieved by limiting wage increases to the consumer price index;
  2. That the Chief General Manager report on the savings that could be achieved in 2007 if 2006 wages and salaries were used as the base with a CPI increase for 2007; and
  3. That the Chief General Manager discuss possible concessions with our collective bargaining units to include limiting salary increases and foregoing Ontario Health Premium Payments to employees.

Commissioner Milczyn requested a recorded vote.

For: Commissioner Milczyn, Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner Saundercook

Against: Chair Giambrone, Vice-Chair Mihevc, Commissioner Bussin, Commissioner Perruzza, Commissioner De Baeremaeker

The motion lost by a majority of 1.

Commissioner Bussin moved that the chief general manager be requested to report back on the potential impact of postponing the extension of the Spadina Subway.

Commissioner Thompson requested a recorded vote.

For: Commissioner Bussin, Chair Giambrone, Vice-Chair Mihevc, Commissioner Hall, Commissioner Milczyn, Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Saundercook

Against: Commissioner Perruzza, Commissioner De Baeremaeker

The motion carried by a majority of 5.

Vice-Chair Mihevc moved that the cost containment items noted on page 11 of the Chief General Manager’s presentation (see attached) be implemented immediately; and further that all commissioner travel be cancelled for the balance of this year.

The motion by Vice-Chair Mihevc carried on a unanimous vote.

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.