CUPE Local 2 says fear is spreading among electrical workers after an unprovoked attack, renewing debate over workplace violence prevention
A Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) electrical worker is recovering at home after being stabbed in the back in an unprovoked attack while walking to his work zone Friday morning, an incident that has left colleagues shaken and renewed calls for stronger workplace violence prevention on the transit system.
The attack happened near Bloor and Yonge streets around 8:10 a.m. as the worker was returning from a break. Toronto police allege the suspect approached from behind and fled the scene; the worker was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He has since been released and is recovering at home, according to the TTC.
(Source: Toronto Police Service)
Anthony Christopher David McLaughlin, 36, turned himself in the following day and has since been charged with two assault-related offences. The charges have not been tested in court. TTC chief executive officer Mandeep Lali said in a statement that he wished the worker "a full and speedy recovery," and added that the safety of employees is a top priority for the organization and that violence against workers on duty will not be tolerated.
Marie Cantwell, a national representative with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who currently serves as administrator of CUPE Local 2, represents the electrical workers affected. She says the union has heard directly from a membership rattled by the randomness of the attack.
Fear ripples through the membership
"There's a lot of concerns being raised right now, just like an attack on one is an attack on all," Cantwell said. "It's put a bit of fear into folks, for good reason, that this member was just walking back to his zone area and unprovoked got stabbed in the back."
It is not the first time a worker on the system has faced this kind of violence. A similar case in 2022 saw a worker stabbed in the back at Dupont Station, part of a wave of assaults that prompted renewed calls to better protect transit workers at the time.
Cantwell describes electrical workers as frontline in a qualified sense. "I would say yes and no," she said. "They are out on the streets and out in public, so there is some interaction, and other times we're in the tunnels where we might not be seen as frequently. But there is public-facing work that's done, assisting with traffic, or if we're doing electrical work or overhead work on the transit system."
She points to a broader trend she believes is putting more transit staff at risk. "With the cuts to social services in the Toronto area, it's pushed vulnerable folks into the transit systems," Cantwell said. "So we're dealing with a lot more mental health crises and drug use, and things you just don't know."
De-escalation training already in place, union clarifies
During the interview, Cantwell said she was not certain how thoroughly electrical workers are trained for encounters with the public, compared with special constables or provincial offences officers who patrol the system and respond directly to calls. In a follow-up email to Canadian Occupational Safety, she clarified that all TTC staff receive de-escalation training upon hire.
Union calls for stronger workplace violence prevention
Cantwell says CUPE Local 2 is working alongside the Joint Health and Safety Committee and the employer to determine what, if anything, could have been done differently, though she cautions the review is in its early stages. "We're exploring all of those pieces as the union, the Joint Health and Safety Committee, and the employer," she said. "Right now it's still too early. We're still gaining further information, but it is going to be looked at on all aspects."
Her message to the employer is direct. "We're willing to work with you, but every worker deserves to be able to go home safely at the end of the night, regardless of their job classification," Cantwell said.
To members, she is urging vigilance and communication. "Keep us in the loop," Cantwell said, referring to protections under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act. "Be mindful and keep us informed of things that are occurring so that we're able to address them in a timely manner. Make sure you're utilizing all of those supports and be there for each other."
The incident adds to a longer pattern of enhanced protections against workplace violence and harassment being sought by unions representing Toronto transit staff, as cuts to social services and a rise in public disorder on transit systems continue to shape the safety conversation across the sector.
