City and unions appear headed for a lockout

If a strike or lockout of more than 30,000 city workers is inevitable, the Rob Ford administration wants it to start soon, in the winter, says Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday.

“From the city’s standpoint, a labour disruption is easier to deal with in the winter than the summer,” Holyday said in an interview Tuesday, two days after four city contracts, governing about 32,500 workers, expired.

“There is inconvenience (to residents) regardless, but it’s less in the wintertime. But it’s not our intention to have a strike or a lockout. We want a reasonable settlement for taxpayers and for workers.”

Those sobering words from the chair of the city’s employee and labour relations committee come as many at city hall are predicting the apparent collision course between Mayor Ford and staff over job security and other issues will trigger a labour disruption, most likely a lockout, as early as February.

Holyday said letting CUPE Local 416 (outside workers), Local 79 (inside workers) and Local 2998 (community centre workers) drag out talks until a summer disruption would mean mounds of smelly garbage for residents, closing outdoor swimming pools and revenue-generating golf courses, and a blight on tourist season.

“I know staff would rather strike when there’s nice weather . . . but we can avoid all this if we get to the crux of negotiations now,” said Holyday, whose committee will get an update from city negotiators on Thursday.

The city asked the province Dec. 14 to appoint a conciliator for talks with the 6,000-member Local 416 — a plea for help but also a necessary precursor to a possible lockout of city staff or strike by them.

A Labour Ministry spokesman said Tuesday a conciliator has been appointed but no meetings are scheduled yet.

Another conciliator is meeting this month with city negotiators and Local 79, representing 23,000 workers, following three meetings in December, said Tim Maguire, the local president who recently replaced Ann Dembinski.

“We’ve put reasonable offers on the table,” Maguire said, refusing to elaborate on progress or speculate on management’s intentions.

Mark Ferguson, the CUPE 416 president, repeated Tuesday his long-stated belief that the Ford administration intends to lock staff out while demanding stiff concessions, including loss of ironclad job security for permanent staff.

“I believe there is no good time of year for a labour disruption,” Ferguson said. “All management’s actions at the table suggest they are pushing for a winter labour disruption.”

The other contract that expired New Year’s Day is for 2,300 members of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union. That union acts independently, and in 2009 negotiated a settlement while CUPE locals were striking.

But this time, aggressive signals from the Ford administration over budget cuts, a push for library automation and accelerated bargaining with CUPE has library workers’ president Maureen O’Reilly worried about a lockout.

“We have been able to negotiate a settlement every time, and right now we’re feeling that opportunity might be denied us with the politics now in play,” she said.

The city sent her union a notice to bargain in December. She expects talks to start this month.

Original Article
Source: Star