On July 21, 170 Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) inspectors went on strike after contract negotiations between their employer and their union, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), broke down.
Since then, organizers of fairs, festivals and other large events, such as the CNE, have had to bring in outside inspectors and consultants to ensure their rides and equipment comply with all safety regulations.
On Saturday morning, Toronto Center MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam tweeted her thoughts on the situation.

	The CNE opens in FIVE days and TASSA security inspectors are on strike.  They inspect every propane station, amusement park and food truck.  Without a fair contract, public safety is put at risk by Doug Ford.  Ontario families and workers deserve better.  #onpoli pic.twitter.com/qEDmqmImmi
— Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) August 13, 2022
Speaking to CP24 on Sunday morning, he said the absence of dedicated TSSA safety inspectors inspecting the rides and other equipment at the upcoming CNE amounts to a “lesser duty of care”.
He said because of the work stoppage, the operator of Canada’s largest annual event has been forced to use consultants and third-party contractors to carry out these important safety inspections.
“When we’re going to put public safety at risk, we really can’t take any chances,” Wong-Tam said.
“The CNE, of course, we all love that amusement park.  It’s an important attraction for the city of TO, but we want to make sure people are safe.”
Wong-Tam said that under the current arrangement there is no guarantee that security inspections will be carried out with the same level of diligence.  To illustrate her point, the Toronto MPP pointed to an Aug. 5 incident involving a ride at the Campbellford Fair, which she said injured three children.
He said the organizers of that event would have issued the “same assurances to members of the public”.
In the end, Wong-Tam said the goal is to get both sides “back to the table” and reach an agreement on the contract so TSSA safety inspectors can get back to work as soon as possible.
CNE, meanwhile, is assuring the public that it will continue to maintain the “highest safety standards in the industry”, despite the safety inspectors’ strike.
Darrell Brown, CEO of the CNE, said public safety is the “top priority,” calling Wong-Tam’s claim that safety cannot be guaranteed “false.”
“We don’t think there are any security issues and we would question what Ms. Wong-Tam is suggesting,” he said during an interview Sunday afternoon with CP24.
In a statement, Brown said that after a two-year pandemic hiatus, the CNE is “carefully preparing for the return of the Fair to ensure that any possible work stoppage will not significantly affect our operations or jeopardize safety our staff, vendors and customers.  .”
“Each year the facilities and food facilities at the CNE are inspected by regulators before and during all 18 days of the Fair.  TSSA management has taken precautionary measures, including traveling to other Fairgrounds to conduct inspections before the equipment arrives at the CNE,” he noted, adding that the CNE “is also devoting a significant amount of resources to developing its own consultants third-party safety and certified engineers to ensure that all courses and facilities at the event exceed safety standards.”
“We want to assure our patrons that the CNE is safe.  regardless of the ongoing labor dispute between TSSA and OPSEJ,” he said.
Like Wong-Tam, Brown also hopes the two sides will sit down soon and come to an agreement on the contract “so TSSA can get back to full staff to facilitate its role in safeguarding the industry.”
Despite the job action, the TSSA said, “plans are in place to meet our safety mandate during the strike.”
“Be assured that any entertainment device operating with a valid TSSA authorization has undergone its required annual inspection,” the governing body said in a July 29 tweet.

	Plans are in place to fulfill our security mandate during the strike.  Be sure that any entertainment device in operation with a valid TSSA authorization has undergone the required annual inspection.
— TSSA (@TSSAOntario) July 29, 2022
In a July 21 statement, TSSA said it would continue to respond to serious security incidents and inspect any sites classified as high risk.
The governing body for safety inspectors said it would also be available to provide services for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and long-term care homes.  While continuing to offer non-inspection services such as engineering, testing, licensing, TSSA will not be conducting expedited and rushed engineering reviews during the strike.
“Every effort will be made to minimize any disruption to business as much as possible,” TSSA said, adding that it wants to reach an agreement with OPSEU and has been “engaged in good faith negotiations” with them since last fall in an unsuccessful effort “Conclusion of a first collective agreement for inspectors”.
“In order to avoid a strike, the TSSA bargaining team has provided OPSEU with a full proposal that includes all terms for a first collective agreement and offers inspectors excellent health, dental and pension benefits and wage increases for a multi-year agreement,” said Laura.  Desjardins, Vice President of Human Resources.  “Given the reasonable and fair contract we offered and our availability for ongoing discussions, TSSA does not see why inspectors have chosen to go on strike.  Our approach is to negotiate in good faith, reach a fair deal and avoid any disruption.  Unfortunately, the union stopped direct negotiations with the TSSA after the first meetings and gave indications of their strike intentions.  We are concerned about OPSEU’s deliberately false statements suggesting that we are not negotiating in good faith.”
CP24 has also reached out to OPSEU for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

	All it takes is one accident… it’s time for the TSSA to get back into negotiations and protect public safety!  Thanks to @OPSEUPYC for their solidarity with the #strikeforsafety today at Ex!  pic.twitter.com/7HBHDy8n0d
— OPSEU (@OPSEU) August 14, 2022
The Canadian National Fair starts this Friday and runs until Labor Day, Monday, September 5th.