Mayor Rob Ford has squeezed unprecedented concessions out of 6,000 city workers in a tentative contract that puts other unions on notice and guarantees more outsourcing and layoffs.
A jubilant Ford trumpeted “a fantastic day for taxpayers of this great city,” Sunday when news broke of the deal with outside workers, heading off what recently appeared to be an almost-certain work stoppage.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said the undisclosed terms will, if ratified by CUPE Local 416 members and city council, “give us much more control over our workforce and will let us be more flexible and efficient.”
“Municipalities will pay attention to what's happening here,” he said. “I think taxpayers are the winners ... Stand your ground, and that's what we did, and I guess the union did the same at a certain extent.”
Ford’s prime target was job security provisions in the contract that expired Dec. 31. No unionized city worker with “permanent” status could be laid off as the result of contracting out or technological innovation.
The union offered to strip the protection from workers’ with less than five years’ seniority. But, in a package of concessions the city threatened to impose Sunday if no deal was reached, only workers with 22 or more years would remain protected.
Observers believe the two sides settled on a number in between, something that would help Ford act on his target of shedding 7,000 jobs from the roughly 50,000-strong workforce, and on his councillor brother Doug’s goal of “outsourcing everything that is not nailed down.”
The Ford administration was also adamant on seizing power to freely schedule and redeploy workers and to streamline “bumping” rights for those laid off, while offering small pay hikes. The union offered to freeze members’ pay if management renewed the rest of the old contract.
A bleary-eyed Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, first announced the “framework” of a new contract around 8:30 a.m. Sunday after talks blew through deadlines at 12:01 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Ferguson said his team had made “numerous concessions” to avoid a lockout or strike. He has said outside workers “learned our lesson” from lingering public anger over the summer 2009 strike.
“There is no doubt that our members are making sacrifices,” Ferguson said, adding negotiators would be back at the table at 9 a.m. Monday hammering out final details.
“We are going to keep working to finalize a deal that gives the city flexibility and affordability while still delivering great public services.”
The deal with Local 416 is expected to set terms for ongoing negotiations between the city and three other union locals representing more than 20,000 “inside” employees, library staff and community centre workers.
“Anytime there can be a settlement, it’s best,” said Maureen O’Reilly, president of the Toronto Public Library Workers, adding some compromises made with 416 may not work at her bargaining table.
“I am facing a 17 per cent staff cut. Fifty per cent of my members are part-time workers, many of them with no benefits and some of them with low-paid work,” she said. “I don’t want the TPL to become the Wal-Mart of public libraries.”
Other municipal and provincial governments across Canada, and their unions, will take a close look at the Toronto settlement, said Eric Tucker, labour and employment law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.
“If the union did make significant concessions, it’s representative of the time we’re in, where unions are in retreat and up for grabs are work security, work control and other gains from previous bargaining,” he said.
“If the City of Toronto is able to get away with this, other public sector unions know that if they haven’t already faced these kinds of demands, they soon will.”
Key dates on the road to a deal
Dec. 31, 2011: Contracts between the city and Local 416, Local 79 and Local 2998 expire.
Jan. 13: Mark Ferguson, president of Local 416, offers the city a three-year wage freeze. The city rejects the union’s offer the following week and comes back with a four-year proposal that includes taking the “jobs for life” provision out of the contract for workers with less than 25 years of seniority.
Jan. 16: Local 416 rejects the city’s offer.
Jan. 19: The labour ministry approves a “no board” report request made by the city, which asks a provincial mediator to declare contract talks with 6,000 unionized outside workers deadlocked. This allows either side to strike or have a lockout if no offer is struck at the end of a 17-day deadline.
Jan. 22: Talks resume between the city and Local 416.
Feb. 2: Local 416 offers a five-year restriction on employment security as well as a three-year wage freeze.
Feb. 3: The city counters with a “take it or leave it” offer to Local 416 which includes eliminating the jobs-for-life clause and cuts to benefits. CUPE Local 416 president Mark Ferguson called the administration a “bully” and rejects demands that would “gut” the previous contract.
Feb. 5: Deadline for talks at 12:01 am. The deadline extends until 2 a.m.
Feb. 5 - 8:20 am: The city and CUPE416 reach a tentative deal.
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: David Rider
A jubilant Ford trumpeted “a fantastic day for taxpayers of this great city,” Sunday when news broke of the deal with outside workers, heading off what recently appeared to be an almost-certain work stoppage.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said the undisclosed terms will, if ratified by CUPE Local 416 members and city council, “give us much more control over our workforce and will let us be more flexible and efficient.”
“Municipalities will pay attention to what's happening here,” he said. “I think taxpayers are the winners ... Stand your ground, and that's what we did, and I guess the union did the same at a certain extent.”
Ford’s prime target was job security provisions in the contract that expired Dec. 31. No unionized city worker with “permanent” status could be laid off as the result of contracting out or technological innovation.
The union offered to strip the protection from workers’ with less than five years’ seniority. But, in a package of concessions the city threatened to impose Sunday if no deal was reached, only workers with 22 or more years would remain protected.
Observers believe the two sides settled on a number in between, something that would help Ford act on his target of shedding 7,000 jobs from the roughly 50,000-strong workforce, and on his councillor brother Doug’s goal of “outsourcing everything that is not nailed down.”
The Ford administration was also adamant on seizing power to freely schedule and redeploy workers and to streamline “bumping” rights for those laid off, while offering small pay hikes. The union offered to freeze members’ pay if management renewed the rest of the old contract.
A bleary-eyed Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, first announced the “framework” of a new contract around 8:30 a.m. Sunday after talks blew through deadlines at 12:01 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Ferguson said his team had made “numerous concessions” to avoid a lockout or strike. He has said outside workers “learned our lesson” from lingering public anger over the summer 2009 strike.
“There is no doubt that our members are making sacrifices,” Ferguson said, adding negotiators would be back at the table at 9 a.m. Monday hammering out final details.
“We are going to keep working to finalize a deal that gives the city flexibility and affordability while still delivering great public services.”
The deal with Local 416 is expected to set terms for ongoing negotiations between the city and three other union locals representing more than 20,000 “inside” employees, library staff and community centre workers.
“Anytime there can be a settlement, it’s best,” said Maureen O’Reilly, president of the Toronto Public Library Workers, adding some compromises made with 416 may not work at her bargaining table.
“I am facing a 17 per cent staff cut. Fifty per cent of my members are part-time workers, many of them with no benefits and some of them with low-paid work,” she said. “I don’t want the TPL to become the Wal-Mart of public libraries.”
Other municipal and provincial governments across Canada, and their unions, will take a close look at the Toronto settlement, said Eric Tucker, labour and employment law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.
“If the union did make significant concessions, it’s representative of the time we’re in, where unions are in retreat and up for grabs are work security, work control and other gains from previous bargaining,” he said.
“If the City of Toronto is able to get away with this, other public sector unions know that if they haven’t already faced these kinds of demands, they soon will.”
Key dates on the road to a deal
Dec. 31, 2011: Contracts between the city and Local 416, Local 79 and Local 2998 expire.
Jan. 13: Mark Ferguson, president of Local 416, offers the city a three-year wage freeze. The city rejects the union’s offer the following week and comes back with a four-year proposal that includes taking the “jobs for life” provision out of the contract for workers with less than 25 years of seniority.
Jan. 16: Local 416 rejects the city’s offer.
Jan. 19: The labour ministry approves a “no board” report request made by the city, which asks a provincial mediator to declare contract talks with 6,000 unionized outside workers deadlocked. This allows either side to strike or have a lockout if no offer is struck at the end of a 17-day deadline.
Jan. 22: Talks resume between the city and Local 416.
Feb. 2: Local 416 offers a five-year restriction on employment security as well as a three-year wage freeze.
Feb. 3: The city counters with a “take it or leave it” offer to Local 416 which includes eliminating the jobs-for-life clause and cuts to benefits. CUPE Local 416 president Mark Ferguson called the administration a “bully” and rejects demands that would “gut” the previous contract.
Feb. 5: Deadline for talks at 12:01 am. The deadline extends until 2 a.m.
Feb. 5 - 8:20 am: The city and CUPE416 reach a tentative deal.
Original Article
Source: Star
Author: David Rider
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