Bob Kinnear reinstated as leader of the TTC's largest union

An Ontario Superior Court justice has reinstated Bob Kinnear as the head of the TTC's largest union after he was suspended for allegedly trying to split the local from its U.S.-based parent Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

Earlier this month, the ATU alleged Kinnear was suspended for a "secretive effort" to get Local 113, which represents some 11,000 TTC workers, out of the larger union without its members knowledge.

In the interim, the union local was placed under the temporary trusteeship of the ATU's international representative, Manny Sforza, who is based in Toronto.

In the decision of the case, Justice Michael Penny slammed the trusteeship as an attempt to "quell dissent" and "silence opposition." Penny released his decision on Tuesday.

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Following Kinnear's reinstatement, Sforza called Tuesday "a sad day for all workers in our city," saying the decision "undermines a long history of union democracy in the province."

Ten of the union local's 17 executives were also suspended along with Kinnear, but were reinstated later that day. Sforza said all 17 were immediately suspended when the union local was placed under trusteeship.

Kinnear alleged the major shakeup is due to Local 113's affiliation with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). Recently, Kinnear said he approached the CLC to mediate a dispute between his workers and the ATU, and he believed that led to his suspension.

"They don't believe in Canadian autonomy," he said, following his suspension, adding he didn't want Local 113 to separate from the ATU. 

In a statement Tueday, Tim Gleason, a lawyer for Kinnear, called the decision "a breakthrough for Canadian union members who want to break free of American organizations that have dominated them for decades."

TTC employees are now entitled to vote for their interests as a result of the ruling, he added.