Bob Kinnear, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, speaks to reporters in Toronto on Tuesday. (CBC)

An angry TTC union leader took verbal swipes at management, the public and the media on Tuesday — blaming them all for the recent upswing in complaints about service on Toronto’s public transit system.

Bob Kinnear, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, said recent photos and videos of a snoozing fare collector, bus drivers stopping for bathroom breaks and absent ticket takers, is creating an atmosphere of harassment on the TTC.

Kinnear said some unionized employees now "fear taking a few minutes for a needed washroom break because they don't want to be subjected to ridicule or embarrassment."

He blasted the public saying, "To all of those who get some cheap thrill making a video of a driver leaving his or her bus for a washroom break: Stop it! It's inhuman and it's creating potential health and public safety hazards."

Kinnear said media outlets that receive pictures or videos exposing problems on the TTC should send them back to the person "with a reprimand."

But Kinnear saved his strongest language for TTC management.

He called a weekend email to staff from TTC chief general manager Gary Webster — taking employees to task for service problems — a "whiny rant."

"This email was unfair in the extreme," said Kinnear.

"He [Webster] takes absolutely no responsibility for operating decisions that anger customers. For example, he takes no responsibility for the recent token fiasco. It's our members who take all the flak for that."

"He takes no responsibility for the staff cutbacks that result in dirty subway stations and washrooms. He takes no responsibility for the St. Clair cost overruns ... He takes no responsibility for any management decisions that have adversely affected service and led to greater customer dissatisfaction," Kinnear said.

TTC official Brad Ross, who said in the media a bathroom break should be announced to passengers and should only take about three minutes, was also denounced. "Who made you God?" said Kinnear.

But the sting of criticism from the public has pushed the union to take action.

"As a union we acknowledge that there are things we can do as workers to improve the customer experience," said Kinnear.

The union leader said the ATU Local 113 would sponsor town hall meetings aimed at bringing together TTC employees and the public, but did not provide any details on dates or times.