Council OK’s deal with CUPE Local 79 & waives 2012 sports field fees

City council has unanimously approved a bargaining agreement with CUPE Local 79, and waived permit fees for sports fields used by little leagues as its first items of business on Tuesday.

Councillors voted 41-0 to approve the deal ratified last week by 8,600 part-time recreation workers.

There was no debate on the issue, and the mayor said this one like the deal for CUPE Local 416 is a “fair and reasonable” one for employees, and gives taxpayers “better bang” for their tax dollars. He also said the new agreements with Locals 79 and 416, which give workers wage increases over four years, will save the city $150 million.

“That’s truly amazing, folks,” Rob Ford said.

The second order of business during council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday was youth permit fees for sports fields. As part of a new user policy, the parks, forestry and recreation department is required to collect $1.5 million in fees from children’s little leagues in 2012.

But after much public outcry from sports organizations in recent weeks, council voted 41-0 in favour of Ford’s motion to waive the sports field fees this year, and offset the $1.5 million shortfall by using money from the salary savings non-program budget. He also asked that staff report back on 2013 fees for sports fields in July.

“This is an extremely important issue,” he said, thanking councillors for helping to come up with a solution. 

“We all support youth,” he said, in their desire to get outside and exercise.

But Ford wasn’t present for the actual vote in the afternoon because he pulled his back and needed to see his doctor.

Council also voted unanimously in favour of Coun. Paula Fletcher’s motion, asking that the parks and recreation department consult with the Toronto Sports Council and permit holders on the classification of ball fields and a proposed fee structure, a process for offering relief to those having financial difficulty paying for permits and a protocol for notifying groups of fee changes in the future, among other things.

Eariler in the day, Fletcher submitted a petition from the Toronto Sports Council signed by 70 organizations and 1,947 people, asking that the city direct the department to withhold the collection of ball field fees to give them time to build new fees into their registration fees.

In the past six weeks, Fletcher said she heard from league organizers who were caught off guard by the new fees, had already set their registration fees and weren’t in a position to pass them on to players.

Coun. Norm Kelly, who chairs the parks and environment committee, said he supports the mayor’s motion. He also said he’d support Fletcher’s motion if the date to report back would be changed to Oct. 2 from July 11. But he later withdrew his motion.

Coun. Mark Grimes proposed that the heads of the parks and recreation department and Toronto Water identify sites that could be used for sports and recreational purposes. But he also later withdrew his motion.

Other items on the council’s agenda included debate on a casino in Toronto.

Several councillors have tabled separate motions opposing a casino in the city. The issue arose after the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. as part of its strategic review proposed a new gambling facility in the GTA. Ontario Place, which is closed for redevelopment, has come up as a potential location.

Coun. Mike Layton is asking that Ontario Place be kept a public space for families and residents, and that “no casinos or other gambling facilities be built or placed” at the 38-hectare waterfront park.

John Tory is heading an advisory committee on the fate of Ontario Place and is expected to report back early next month.

“It is for that reason Toronto City Council must make it known now that Ontario Place must remain a public space for all Toronto residents to enjoy and we cannot afford to have a casino or other gambling facility built on it,” the motion stated.

Meanwhile, Coun. Adam Vaughan is urging that no city casino be permitted without a referendum first.

Toronto residents voted in a referendum in 1997, and overwhelmingly rejected the idea of a city casino by 72 per cent.

“A recent poll confirmed these results with almost the same number of respondents rejecting such a proposal,” the motion stated.

To view the full agenda, click here.