Strike looms as Sudbury city workers fight for better schedule, end to forced overtime

The City of Greater Sudbury and the union representing its outdoor maintenance staff are struggling to reach a new tentative agreement.

CUPE Local 4705 represents approximately 500 municipal employees working in garbage collection, roads maintenance, parks and vehicle maintenance. It's calling on the city to reach a fair deal to improve working conditions, scheduling and job security.

If an agreement is not reached, both sides with meet with the assistance of an arbitrator on Aug. 8.

If that fails, workers could be on strike on Aug. 9.

Bryan Keith, president of CUPE Local 4705, said talks between the union and the city have been on and off since May.

"We bargained approximately 21 full days at the table with the employer," Keith said. 

"We basically have come to an impasse on two major sticking points."

Unfair scheduling 

Keith said the biggest priority is reducing additional overtime on weekends. 

In 2019, city council approved the hiring of additional full-time staff in order to bring in some work in-house over the weekends, he added.

These are trades people and blue collar workers who take a lot of pride and joy in the work that they do- Bryan Keith, President of CUPE Local 4705

The union told CBC the city has not been able to meet that obligation to fill the positions. 

"They want to change the scheduling so that all members who work in distribution and collection now are working rotational weekend schedules," he said. 

"So this obviously is a quality of life issue. Many members have never had to work a weekend, they are 20 to 25 years into their career and are now going to be basically uprooting their lives and their family life." 

Forced overtime 

Keith added the forced overtime tabled in the draft collective agreement would make overtime mandatory for winter sidewalk maintenance staff.

"Most of that group is willing to work overtime when it's required because they take pride in their job. But the actual language being put into a collective agreement, with forced overtime, it's just not something that any union is going to support in any way, shape or form." 

Keith said nobody should be forced to work and the employer should instead provide adequate staffing and equipment.  

Services not confined to weekdays

In response to the strike notice, the city told CBC they are looking forward to their talks on Aug. 8 and hope to achieve a settlement on that date.  

"The discussions that we're having with CUPE are far best to be had at the negotiating table," said Kevin Fowke, general manager of corporate services for the City of Greater Sudbury.

He added services provided by the outside unit employees are not confined to a shift Monday to Friday.

Fowke said bargaining meetings are underway to ensure that municipal services continue smoothly in light of any disruptions. 

"We're looking forward, hopefully, to our talks on the eighth we'll be able to achieve a settlement on that date," he said.

Keith said its union members hope the city sees that the two proposals causing a rift can be fixed by consulting directly with staff for feedback.

"They are not high paid members who are just sitting around doing nothing. These are trades people and blue collar workers who take a lot of pride and joy in the work that they do.  

"But unfortunately, it seems like their hands are kind of being forced at this time."