Toronto city workers union requests no board report

The union representing about 30,000 City of Toronto workers has officially requested a no board report, moving continuing negotiations with the city one step closer to a potential strike or lockout deadline.

The request comes after more than 90 per cent of CUPE Local 79 workers voted last month in favour of a strike mandate. In a January release, the union said the city is facing a crisis of recruitment and retention "after nearly two decades of austerity and underinvestment," and workers are burned out and underpaid.

The city is not listening to union concerns, Nas Yadollahi, Local 79 president, told reporters at a news conference Friday.

"After months of bargaining, the city has made it clear that they are not serious about addressing the chronic understaffing, low wages and poor working conditions that are driving workers away from public service," she said.

A no board report signals that negotiations are at an impasse. Should the Ministry of Labour grant the union's request, CUPE Local 79 would be in a strike or lockout position within 17 days.

CUPE Local 79 members are involved in a range of city services, including public health, ambulance dispatch, child care, shelters, recreation programming and long-term care. Yadollahi said staffing vacancies are especially putting strain on workers in long-term care and ambulance dispatch.

In the event of a labour disruption, "the impact would be vast and massive," Yadollahi said.

"Daycares will be closed, shelters will be impacted, community centres will shut down," she said.

City has contingency plans to maintain key services

In a bargaining update posted online Thursday, the city said there are contingency plans in place for the continuation of key services in the event of a labour disruption.

The city is offering union members an increase of nearly 15 per cent over four years, according to the update, saying the union representing the city's outdoor workers accepted a similar increase in December.

The offer would ensure 92 per cent of part-time recreation worker hours will be paid above minimum wage, compared with 43 per cent last year, according to the update. The city has also offered to discuss special wage adjustments for certain jobs to bring them up to market levels, the update says, like nurses and municipal standards officers.

Yadollahi said Friday that's not good enough, and the union is looking for all workers to earn a living wage while providing services for one of Canada's most expensive cities.

City Manager Paul Johnson told reporters Friday afternoon that the city is working to improve recruitment and retention of its public service and is taking union demands seriously. He said the city will come to the bargaining table seven days a week if necessary, but there has to be compromise.

"It has to be a good deal for the City of Toronto and our finances, as well as for our workers," Johnson said.

The city has a $300 million special fund for labour agreements, Johnson said, with December's deal with the city's outdoor workers costing about $50 million. The TTC collective agreement, reached last year, will cost the city $176 million over three years.

Mayor Olivia Chow has said labour costs are a significant factor behind the 6.9 per cent tax increase included in the city's 2025 budget.

Johnson said while the city is offering to get most recreation staff off minimum wage, the wage is reasonable for some of the younger employees who are working their first jobs.