Toronto union warns of possible strike by 30,000 inside workers as early as March 8

The union representing 30,000 City of Toronto inside workers says strike action could happen as soon as March 8 if both sides fail to agree to terms on a new deal.

On Thursday, CUPE Local 79 announced that the Ontario Labour Relations Board issued a “No Board Report” a week after the union requested it.

CUPE Local 79 voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate last month, citing “a crisis in retention and recruitment after nearly two decades of austerity and underinvestment” and highlighted Toronto’s emergency and ambulance services, saying several employees have been forced to leave “in droves” due to burnout and being underpaid.

The union says the City of Toronto refuses to negotiate a fair deal with its frontline workers.

“For years, our members—some of the lowest-paid workers keeping this city running—have been falling further and further behind while Toronto’s top bureaucrats and executives keep getting richer,” said Nas Yadollahi, president of CUPE Local 79.

“This is a fight against a wealthy class that hands itself double-digit raises while telling the rest of us to ‘tighten our belts.’ Enough is enough.”

The sectors under the City include public health, planning, City Hall operations, employment and social services, ambulance dispatch, child care, and 311, among others.

A “No Board Report” indicates that negotiations have stalled. Once issued—usually within five days—CUPE Local 79 will be legally permitted to strike or face a lockout 17 days later.

Union seeking an ‘end to mismanagement’

A spokesperson with the City acknowledged the “No Board Report,” saying the union will be in a legal strike position and the City in a legal lockout position at 12:01 a.m., or one-minute past midnight, on March 8.

“In the event of a labour disruption, the City has contingency plans in place to continue delivering critical services that our residents, visitors and businesses rely on. Information about the City’s contingency plans will be announced when appropriate,” a spokesperson said.

The City says officials tabled its latest proposal on Feb. 17 and await the union’s reply, adding that they’re “firmly committed to the bargaining process” and have been at the table and available to meet with CUPE Local 79 to reach a “fair and reasonable agreement.”

CUPE Local 79 cited six years of wage increases under former Toronto mayor John Tory, averaging 1.13 per cent annually while noting “massive pay hikes” for “Toronto’s highest-paid bureaucrats.”

In addition to seeking fair wages, the union said its members want an “end to mismanagement, an end to the City being a minimum wage employer and an end to the many staffing crises facing divisions across the City.”

“We’ve been understaffed, underpaid, and undervalued for years,” said Yadollahi. “We’re at a breaking point. Our services are at a breaking point. No one wants to be in this position, but we know that residents deserve better, and we’re willing to put ourselves on the picket line to demand fairness and respect.”