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Thousands of passengers were stranded early Saturday morning after an unexpected strike by transit workers in Toronto. The city?s subway, bus and streetcar network was shut down shortly after midnight on Friday after 65 percent of 8,900 unionized workers rejected a tentative contract that had been endorsed by their union?s leadership. The transit union had promised to give 48 hours? notice before walking out. But Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union local that represents the Toronto employees, said ?threats and abuse? from passengers had prompted an immediate strike. ?We have assessed the situation and decided that we will not expose our members to the dangers of assaults from angry and irrational members of the public,? he said in a statement.