The Ontario government will introduce back-to-work legislation Sunday to order striking Toronto transit workers back to work.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has recalled the legislature for a rare Sunday afternoon sitting in hopes of sparing commuter misery for the 1.5 million people who use Toronto's public transit workdays.
All three political party leaders in Ontario have indicated they would support the legislation.
Commuters scrambled this weekend as the sudden transit strike idled the country's largest fleet of subways, streetcars and buse.
"We will move the back-to-work legislation through the legislative process as quickly as possible," Mr. McGuinty said in a statement Saturday.
"We hope to gain support of all parties to ensure that TTC service is restored quickly for the families and businesses of Toronto."
Opposition leader John Tory pledged co-operation to end what he called the "outrageous" strike, and after taking Saturday afternoon to review the bill, New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton eventually pledged his party's support so the legislation could pass Sunday.
Mr. Hampton said the Liberal government's legislation is very close to a bill that the NDP supported in 2002 to end a Toronto garbage strike.
"This is legislation we voted for before," said Mr. Hampton. "It's fair, it's balanced and we can support it again."
The back-to-work order calls for the strike to end immediately after the legislation receives Royal Assent, and would impose fines of $2,000 per individual and $25,000 for a union or employer per day.
All outstanding issues would be referred to a mediator or arbitrator and both sides would have five days to agree on who that individual is or the government can appoint someone.
As in previous instances when the provincial government has introduced such legislation, the mediator must take certain things into account when coming up with wage scales for the transit workers, including the city's ability to pay, the health of the economy in Ontario and the TTC's ability to attract and retain employees, sources said.
Thousands of people were forced to walk, take cabs or find other ways to get around on the weekend after the 9,000 Toronto Transit Commission workers walked out at midnight, just hours after rejecting a tentative contract Friday night.
"I had no idea there was a strike," said George Sukhu, who had to walk Saturday instead of riding the subway.
"I don't know what they're asking for because the deal that was worked out gives them better pay than the rest of the transit industry."
Union leader Bob Kinnear said he had no choice but to set aside a promise to give 48 hours notice of any job action given the threat posed to his members by "irrational members of the public."
Mr. Sukhu said he was "at a loss" to understand Mr. Kinnear's explanation.
"Maybe they can be a little more user-friendly to the public. The prices are skyrocketing and I can hardly afford $100 a month for a [transit]pass."
Mr. Kinnear met with his executive behind closed doors Saturday morning to discuss the deep rift in the ranks of his Amalgamated Transit Union local but did not comment afterward.
Despite the tentative agreement that provided wage increases of three per cent a year over three years, it appeared the transit commission's 3,000 maintenance workers felt let down by the deal.
Their concern is that contracting out of their work will lead to job losses. The TTC, however, said warranty work on new vehicles is being done by the manufacturer but even much of that is being done in-house.
The two sides went back to the bargaining table Saturday afternoon under the eye of an Ontario Ministry of Labour mediator but the talks ended several hours later with no resolution.
"We are doing everything we can to resolve this dispute in line with our members' decision to reject the settlement," Mr. Kinnear said in a statement.
"We will continue to attempt to reach a negotiated agreement."
TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said he was disappointed the tentative deal that staved off a walkout last Monday, and which the union executive had recommended its members ratify, had been turned down by almost two-thirds of those voting.
"We're happy that the province has taken this action, Mr. Giambrone said. "All the signs are there and it seems we're in a good position for service to return by Monday morning."
Bob Greenberg, a TTC bus driver who voted in favour of the failed contract, stopped by the Sheraton Hotel late Saturday to check on the deliberations.
"I thought it was a fair deal, so I was shocked the vote went against it," he said. "I'd like to see some of the major points that caused this whole strike to be cleared up and then I'd like to hopefully go back to work Monday morning."
Waits for taxis, which were not accepting advance bookings, were higher than normal and even motorists found themselves affected by the strike.
Ben Bumanlag, who cuts hair downtown, was dismayed to find his usual $5-a-day parking lot was suddenly charging $15.
"It's too much," Mr. Bumanlag complained. "They're taking advantage."
Mayor David Miller called the surprise turn of events "unacceptable" and urged the premier to intervene.
While the walkout left thousands of people stranded as buses and streetcars changed their signs to "not in service," police reported no incidents related to the job action overnight.
Soccer team Toronto FC hired a double decker bus to pick up fans at some of the downtown's popular pubs to take them for free to a Saturday afternoon home game against Kansas City.
With reports from Kate Hammer and Karen Howlett