City of Toronto outside workers closer to labour disruption
A legal strike or lockout date could be as soon as Feb. 20, Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong says after both sides seek No Board reports.

TheStar.com
Jan. 29, 2016
Betsy Powell

The city of Toronto and the union representing 28,500 city workers are one step closer toa labour disruption.

On Friday, the city asked the province for a No Board report after reaching an impasse at the collective bargaining table with the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416.

CUPE represents 5,400 outside workers, including garbage collectors, water, solid waste and parks staff.
“We’re not satisfied with the progress that’s been taking place,” even with a conciliator’s assistance, said Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong.

CUPE Local 79, which represents 23,100 inside workers, including nurses, planners, social service employees and ambulance dispatchers, also applied for a No Board report Friday.

Once issued, a No Board report begins the countdown to a legal strike or lockout date, which would be as early as Feb. 20, Minnan-Wong said Friday.

The city is developing contingency plans in case there is a simultaneous work stoppage “to try and provide as many services as possible to the residents of the city,” said Minnan-Wong, chair of the city’s employee and labour relations committee.

“Our hope is that doesn’t happen.”

CUPE representatives shared his pessimism about the state of negotiations.

“It’s clear that the city isn’t negotiating; we’ve been negotiating since October and the same, deep cuts remain on the table,” said Matt Alloway, a CUPE 416 bargaining official and paramedic.

“We’re concerned about an aggressive approach.”

Tim Maguire, president of Local 79, said despite the lack of progress to date, “we’re hopeful there is still room to negotiate collective agreements that provide better services by providing a measure of more stability for frontline workers.”

Both refused to get into specifics about the shared issues at the bargaining tables.

The City of Toronto’s bargaining website says a key issue is the city’s “efforts to better manage the cost of our benefit programs.” The city is responsible for paying 100 per cent of the benefit costs for its full-time unionized staff.

“We are very serious when we say that the status quo is not sustainable,” Minnan-Wong said, also refusing to talk specifics.

Both the parties may continue to bargain past Feb. 20, a city news release said.