Meddling by TTC chair Howard Moscoe forced Rick Ducharme to resign, the former general manager of the Toronto Transit Commission says.

Ducharme, seven years at the operational helm of the commission, submitted his resignation Tuesday, citing "political interference" from "some members of the commission" as the reason in an angry letter to employees.

Rick Ducharme resigned as chief general manager on Tuesday, citing 'political interference.'

On Wednesday, the day his resignation, effective immediately, was accepted at an emergency meeting of the TTC, Ducharme made it clear his decision was due to Moscoe's interference during labour negotiations.

Ducharme had been in a months-long battle with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, a fight that led to a half-day wildcat strike that shut down the system on May 29. A week later, another threatened strike was apparently averted when Moscoe bypassed Ducharme and became personally involved in negotiations.

That was when he made his decision to leave, Ducharme said.

• FROM JUNE 7, 2006s: Interfering with TTC management is a slippery slope, says former GM

"It was through the media I found out there were discussions I was not aware of, between the chair [Moscoe] and the union, even discussion between the mayor [David Miller]; a few days before that with Bill Reno, the consultant for the union," Ducharme said Wednesday.

"To me, that's interference. There's no way I can deal with the union if they are allowed to deal with the mayor, the chair or whatever."

Ducharme said he loved his job, but Moscoe's meddling prevented him from doing it properly.

"I love the TTC. I love the operational part of it," he said, adding dealing with politicians is not something new. "Politics is a big part of it. I've dealt with politicians for 34 years, so politics is a big part of it.

"I think I've advanced the TTC positively. When this happens though, and if you can't do your job, then something has to change, something has to break, and I'm the one."

Moscoe admitted in a Wednesday interview with CBC News Online that he did speak with Bob Kinnear — the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 head who has been critical of Ducharme — in order to avoid a June 5 walkout.

He defended the action as necessary for keeping the trains and buses running.

"The most persistent question I've been asked by media over the past week and a half is: 'Have you talked to Mr. Kinnear, and if not, why not?,' " Moscoe said.

"Labour relations at the TTC have traditionally been done by management," he said, but "in the face of the fact that we had an illegal strike, and were about to take another illegal strike, and because I am accountable to the public, it was necessary for me to intervene to prevent that second strike from happening."

If that is what Mr. Ducharme classifies as interference, Moscoe said, "then he misunderstands his role and mine."

"It's no secret that labour relations at the TTC are at an all-time low," Moscoe added, "and I have a responsibility to the public to make sure those buses roll out on a Monday morning."

The councillor would not comment on whether he thought Ducharme was responsible for the situation, but he was clear on what he would be looking for in a new chief general manager.

"I want a chief GM who has the competency to run the system well, and Mr. Ducharme has had that competency, and I want a chief GM who cares about customer service and public relations."

Moscoe's statement came as no surprise to Councillor Jane Pitfield, the only announced candidate seeking to unseat Miller in the November election.

"I think it's completely inappropriate and revealing," Pitfield said. "Clearly it shows he thinks he is in a position where he is running the TTC."

Pitfield said the only solution is for Moscoe to resign, and she wants Miller to put pressure on the veteran councillor to do so.

"I do know that David [Miller] is one of his closest allies, and that David protects him. In this case, the challenge will be for Mr. Miller to do the right thing and not protect him this time," Pitfield said.

"When it reaches a point that more harm than good is being accomplished and knowing that the TTC has difficult challenges, we don't need to add to that by making the management of it so difficult."