OC Transpo is ramping up recruitment efforts to fill staffing gaps as shortages of available bus operators and rail controllers are “directly tied” to unreliable bus service and unplanned rail shutdowns in recent months.
Senior staff outlined a year-long staff stabilization plan that is targeting a 105 per cent staffing level to account for the existing job vacancy rate, natural attrition, projected retirements and new trainees either failing or voluntarily withdrawing from OC Transpo’s training program. The increased staffing will also assist with the LRT east and west extensions.
OC Transpo chief safety officer Sabrina Pasian told the transit committee on June 11 that approximately 20 to 30 per cent of recruits fail or withdraw from the training program. The lengthy training program can last from 27 to 300 days depending on the position and involves practical training, testing and evaluation. The recruitment phase usually spans 102 to 151 days, Pasian said.
The recruitment campaign is expected to bring OC Transpo “much closer to achieving the required staffing levels that we need to ensure safe, consistent operations, while reducing potential risks and building in long-term resiliency,” Pasian said.
She acknowledged that recent staffing “challenges” with front-line bus and train operators and rail controllers “required unplanned temporary service adjustments (and) have led to service that at times can be unpredictable.”
A partial shutdown of the O-Train’s Line 4 over the Victoria Day long weekend was attributed to staff shortages. A temporary shutdown of the east-west Line 1 several hours later was blamed on a shortage of available controllers at OC Transpo’s control centre on Belfast Road, “primarily due to illness,” according to a memo to council from OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary.
“As a temporary mitigation measure to address the staffing gaps, we’ve been heavily relying on overtime, but this is not sustainable,” Pasian told the committee this week. “We are tracking overtime very closely, and once this plan is achieved, the reliance on overtime will lessen.”
The transit authority is hoping to recruit 372 trainees as potential bus operators to add to its current fleet of 1,507 drivers. It is targeting 48 electric rail operator trainees for Line 1 and 37 diesel operator trainees for Lines 2 and 4, along with a target of 25 controllers to oversee rail operations from the control centre.
OC Transpo currently employs 110 electric rail operators, 59 diesel operators, 16 electric rail controllers and 16 diesel rail controllers. It is also looking to ramp up recruiting for mechanics, garage attendants and special constables.
“We are in the process of filling essential positions in our recruitment and training teams to be able to onboard and train new front-line staff at unprecedented numbers,” Pasian said. “This includes hiring instructors and members of our recruitment team to ensure that all training is provided consistently, meaningfully, and documented properly, and that our hiring follows all HR policies.”
Staffing levels for bus and Para Transpo operators is expected to stabilize by the end of this year, while other front-line recruitment and training efforts will extend into 2027.
OC Transpo is projecting stable staffing levels for electric rail operators by March 2027 and diesel operators by June 2027, while staffing and training for rail controllers will extend into August 2027 and beyond.
“Although this will take time, we will not compromise or rush the training process, especially since these front-line roles are safety critical,” Pasian said.
With an “incredibly competitive” job market for mechanics, OC Transpo is looking to expand its apprenticeship programs and its partnership with local colleges to create “an internal pipeline by growing our talent in-house,” she said.
Noah Vineberg, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 said he remains “cautiously optimistic” about the staffing plan.
Vineberg referenced a recent auditor general report that found “blatantly obvious” contraventions in OC Transpo hiring practices during the previous administration from 2021 to 2025. The report found management positions had been filled in some cases by “hand-picked” candidates who bypassed the competition process.
“That is gatekeeping,” Vineberg said. “This is the exact thing that the union has been raising for more than two years and it is still live today. I have good people right now waiting for that gate that should already be open.”
Related
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
