CUPE says city is proposing contract cuts that are destructive and unprecedented

With only days to go until a possible city staff lockout or strike, the union representing outside workers is blasting the city over its proposed contract offer.

“The city has tabled the worst, most destructive set of cuts we have ever seen,” Matt Alloway, a member of the bargaining committee for Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Local 416, said in a statement.

CUPE conference: Building an economy that works

Quality public services provided by union members drive our country’s economy. Yet far too often, discussions about our economy are only framed from the point-of-view of banks and corporations, neglecting the interests of workers.

Finding ways CUPE can open up the public debate on our economy was the topic at a plenary session at CUPE's first ever National Bargaining Conference, now underway in Ottawa.

CUPE 3902 bargaining committee members protest tentative agreement by resigning

A tentative agreement was reached early in the morning between the University of Toronto and CUPE 3902, the union that represents 7,000 sessionals, teaching assistants, and other contract instructional staff.

However, it appears the union's bargaining committee was split on accepting the deal and two of its members, Chief Spokeperson James Nugent and Recording Secretary Ashleigh Ingle, have resigned from the committee in protest.

"We were given our last offer from the employer last night. It didn't have anything substantial on any of our major proposals." said Ingle. "The chief spokesperson and myself resigned, we were unwilling to go to our membership and speak in support of a contract that is clearly not what our members sent us to achieve."

A major issue in bargaining has been on tutorial size. According to a Jan. 31 bargaining update from CUPE 3902, the union asking for a cap at 60 students and more TA support for students in labs and tutorials. In response, the administration offered to create a working group to study the issue but would not agree to take any concrete action. Union members rejected that previous tentative agreement on Jan. 30 with a 96 per cent majority and set a strike deadline of Feb. 24.

Strike averted: City and outside workers reach tentative agreement

Mayor Rob Ford says the tentative contract reached with 6,000 outside city workers marks “a fantastic day for taxpayers of this great city.”

Ford told reporters he is “extremely happy we have been able to reach this agreement without a labour disruption.”

The remarks came Sunday morning, after all-night negotiations that capped months of rancorous bargaining, and an announcement by CUPE Local 416 president Mark Ferguson of the tentative deal that involves “numerous concessions” and “sacrifices” from the union.

Details of the proposed contract were not released. City and union negotiators are to meet Monday to hammer out final details. The results will then go to the union membership for a ratification vote and, if it passes, to a special city council session this week for a vote that would make it official.

It is clear the union had given up some job-security protections, bumping rights and other contract provisions targeted by the Ford administration.

The results will no doubt impact ongoing negotiations with more than 20,000 city workers — inside workers, library staff and community centre workers. The concessions will raise the likelihood of significant layoffs if the administration is free to proceed with more contracting out.

Will union bargaining in Toronto create template for curbing rights?

Citizens of Toronto, it all comes down to you.

The city could be ready as early as today to start stripping job security from its biggest union of outside workers, in what appears to be a Canadian test case on American-style restrictions on public sector unions.

Job security has been at the heart of the city’s contract talks with 6,000 employees, belonging to the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416 and including garbage collectors. The Ford administration warned Friday it would jettison the contract if there’s no agreement and do what it wants, including announcing layoffs and firings in order to contract out to private companies.

All eyes are on Toronto. Talks went down to the wire Saturday night with Mayor Rob Ford reportedly saying he was “optimistic.”

Municipalities across Canada “are watching closely to see what happens here because it’s likely going to affect what they do,” said Councillor Shelley Carroll, a critic of Ford’s tactics. She called the Ford team’s hard line “union-bashing” and said, “It looks like Ford is taking us right to the precipice.”

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday wrote that these negotiations are the city’s “crucible” in the National Post Saturday, adding “it’s the defining experience in our city’s recent history.”

Labour lawyers, officials from the union and city councillors scrambled Friday and Saturday to find ways to avert what they feared was impending disaster. Opposition councillors sought legal advice on whether the Ford administration could change working conditions without seeking approval from council.

CUPE hopeful late-hour talks will avoid Toronto labour disruption

Union officials remained hopeful Saturday night that a new collective agreement for 6,000 city workers could be reached through negotiations.

If not, Mayor Rob Ford’s administration said it would impose new terms and conditions that would essentially force the outside workers to accept the city’s offer or go on strike.

Contract negotiations were extended from the 12:01 deadline until 2 a.m., said CUPE spokesman Cim Nunn.

“We're not done yet. There's still work to be done,” said Nunn, looking weary as he spoke briefly to reporters at the Sheraton hotel, where talks have been held all day.

Talks extended well past this 2 a.m. deadline into Sunday morning.

“At the request of the mediator, the city will continue its efforts to bargain a new collective agreement,’’ read a city statement.

“It’s a very hopeful sign that they’ve been in the room together with the employer for most of the day,” said Nunn. “They have been actively bargaining.”

Speaking several hours before the final deadline, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said it’s possible talks could continue past midnight if it’s clear a deal is in sight.

Toronto union lockout countdown to Feb. 5 begins as minister issues ‘no board’ report

The provincial labour minister has authorized Mayor Rob Ford to lock out Toronto’s unionized outdoor workers in 17 days.

The minister’s “no board” report also allows the outdoor workers to strike. A winter lockout, however, is far more likely.

A city lockout or Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416 strike will become legal at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, the city said in a statement.

Garbage collection and snow removal would be impacted by a lockout of or strike by the 6,000 outdoor workers. The minister’s authorization does not permit a lockout of or strike by CUPE Local 79, which represents 18,000 indoor workers at such facilities as daycares, community centres and nursing homes.

“We will have contingency plans in place to address key city services in the event of a disruption,” the city’s top bureaucrat, city manager Joe Pennachetti, said in the statement. “It's important to note, however, we are still at the table with Local 416 and we are working hard to reach a negotiated settlement.”

CUPE spokesperson Kevin Wilson said Local 416 would not yet comment because the two parties are currently meeting.

Ford’s administration requested the report, saying negotiations with Local 416 had proven fruitless. As is customary, Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey quickly complied.

City’s rush to declare impasse latest step in Ford administration’s attack on public services

TORONTO—The City of Toronto’s hasty decision to declare an impasse in bargaining is the “latest step in the Ford administration’s campaign against public services,” said the President of the Toronto Civic Employees Union, Local 416 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 416) today.

“We feel that this is a hasty decision. It leaves us asking why the City is in such a rush to declare negotiations at an impasse,” Mark Ferguson said in response to the City’s decision today to declare negotiations at an impasse and request a ‘no-board’ report from the Ministry of Labour.

By seeking the no-board report, the City has now set the clock ticking towards a possible labour disruption in less than three weeks.

“Our members do not want a labour disruption, and we have offered to work with the City to identify savings that do not harm the vital services Torontonians depend on,” said Ferguson.

The City’s move is just the latest step in the Ford Administration’s campaign against public services. On December 14, the City walked away from the bargaining table and filed for conciliation, effectively derailing negotiations for nearly a month.

Ferguson urged the City to return to the bargaining table—but to do so with “a genuine willingness to negotiate fairly with Local 416.”

Local 416 has offered the City 30 bargaining dates to ensure the public services residents depend on are not jeopardized.

“We want to find a solution that maintains the important public services people depend on. We recognize we are in uncertain economic times, which is why we are not seeking any major improvements for our members during this round of bargaining,” he added.

Original Article
Source: Cupe.ca 

City cool to CUPE wage freeze offer

One of the unions trying to reach a negotiated deal with the City of Toronto, says it is willing to accept a three-year wage freeze, in exchange for a new three-year contract.

CUPE Local 416, which represents about 6,000 outside workers, says it is making the move in order to try to avoid a confrontation between the city and the union in the coming weeks.

But deputy mayor Doug Holyday, who also chairs the city's labour relations committee, said "there's far more at stake here than wages and benefits."

The two sides have not held face-to-face talks since last year, and earlier this week the conciliator appointed to help bring the two sides together asked for what is called a 'no board' report, which essentially gives the two sides 17 days to reach an agreement.

At the end of that time a strike or a lockout can occur.

A decision by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on whether to issue a no boards report is expected on Tuesday — meaning a strike or lockout could happen as early as Feb. 3.

Rob Ford’s high stakes union gamble

For a split second at the Thursday, January 5, meeting of council’s Employee and Labour Relations Committee, it seemed councillors couldn’t believe what they were reading on the agendas in front of them.

The committee had gathered to discuss strategy – how best to put the boots to city unions in ongoing contract talks. The contracts of four city unions expired December 31, including CUPE Local 416, which represents 6,000 outside workers, CUPE Local 79, which represents 23,000 inside workers, and the library workers’ union.

But it was the good news on the labour front that was throwing them off, creating a PR problem given all that Ford’s allies have been saying to cast the unions as no-good greedy pigs getting fat at the public trough.

Seems those same unions are saving us money, a cool $800K to be exact, thanks to the fact that workplace grievances are down 13 per cent and workplace injury claims down by a whopping 15 per cent. Holy crap.

Toronto union president offers to flat-line wages for thousands of outside workers

The Toronto public-sector union on the precipice of work stoppage has played an unexpected gambit in its negotiations with the city.

Mark Ferguson, President of CUPE Local 416, is offering to flat-line wages for his over 6,000 outside workers for the next three years, a move that contradicts the city’s claims that Mr. Ferguson has refused all its demands.

Savings from the proposal would total $8.5-million each year of the three-year contract.

The proposal would essentially carry over the current contract, which expired on Dec. 31.

For its part, city negotiators have not been focusing on wages. Their goal during this round of negotiations is to stamp out job-security provisions that virtually guarantee that all workers displaced by contracting out will retain a job somewhere within the municipality.

On Thursday, the city pushed Toronto closer to an all-out work stoppage by asking the provincial Minister of Labour to declare an official stalemate in negotiations with Local 416, also called a declaration of “no-board.”

The province is expected to come back with a no-board report as soon as Tuesday, starting a 17-day countdown until the city can declare a lockout or the union can go on strike.

The status of negotiations with CUPE Local 416, the city’s second-largest union, will have an inevitable effect on negotiations with Local 79, the largest city union with over 17,000 members.

Original Article
Source: Globe 

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.

Raitt expects deal between Air Canada and union, despite talks breaking down

Talks between Air Canada (AC.B-T1.59----%) and its flight attendants’ union broke down late Monday, but Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said Tuesday she expects the two sides to get back together and come up with a collective agreement.

Ms. Raitt told CBC television in an interview that she wasn't surprised that the negotiators had to take a break after hours of intensive talks that began early Sunday.

But Ms. Raitt said the two sides told her in a meeting on Monday that they were close to a deal and she hopes they can come to terms without the need for federal back-to-work legislation.

“When I met with them yesterday, they indicated they were very close to a deal, that they would be able to push through the last little bit and they would find a solution and a collective agreement,” Ms. Raitt said.

“It's in their hands to reach a deal. They indicated they were able to reach a deal, so that's my expectation.”