Work stoppage looming for Toronto’s inside workers
Posted March 8, 2012 11:54 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A lockout or strike looms for Toronto’s inside workers after contract negotiations with the city broke down. The threat of a work stoppage comes less than a month after the city finalized a deal with its outside workers following heated bargaining.
The Ontario labour ministry granted the city’s request for a no board report on Wednesday, meaning approximately 23,000 CUPE Local 79 members — including civil servants, child care workers, ambulance dispatchers, nurses and janitors — could be locked out or strike as of March 24.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said the no board report means the two sides will have to deal with the “big matters,” including wages and benefits.
“From our position, we’re looking to retrieve some of the management rights that we think we should have … we need these rights to be more efficient and save tax dollars,” he told CityNews.
“We shouldn’t be entering a period with an unhelpful imposition of threatening terms,” Local 79 president Tim Maguire countered Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve been at the bargaining table for 12 weeks…some discussions haven’t happened yet.”
On Wednesday, the union held a news conference to highlight issues facing part-time workers.
CUPE Local 79 officials said they only learned the no board report was issued on Thursday. Local president Tim Maguire is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The main sticking points in negotiations, which began five months ago, include the so-called jobs-for-life provision that was highlighted during talks with the city’s outside workers’ union — CUPE Local 416 — in January, the rights of part-time workers and scheduling issues, according to the union.
Council approved the four-year deal Local 416 struck with city negotiators on Feb. 15.
Local 416 compromised on the jobs-for-life clause, and the current collective agreement provides job security from contracting-out to employees with 15 years of service or more.
The collective agreement for members of Local 79 expired Dec. 31, 2011.
