Thousands of city workers in Toronto could walk off the job next week and city-run child care and recreation centres could close as the union representing the employees says it has set a strike deadline for Monday.
CUPE Local 79 President Nas Yadollahi said at a press conference Wednesday that the union received what the city called its “final offer” on Tuesday, but it still falls short of its members’ needs.
Yadollahi said the union will be countering with its own proposal and extend its strike deadline to 12:01 a.m. on Monday. If no deal is reached by that time, the workers will walk off the job, she said.
“The City of Toronto has a choice: they can bargain in good faith and show respect for the workers who keep this city running, or they can continue their pattern of neglect, delay and dishonesty and force a strike that will hurt us all,” Yadollahi said.
CUPE Local 79 members include workers in public health, court services, child care, ambulance dispatch, shelters, water and food inspection and long-term care. The union has said executive pay has ballooned while workers’ wages have stagnated behind inflation, contributing to front-line vacancies in areas such as long-term care and paramedic dispatchers.
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“We don’t want to strike. We never have,” said Yadollahi. “To the residents of Toronto: if you knew first-hand how mismanaged the city has become, you would understand why we are at this point.”
The union will be in a legal strike position and the city in a legal lockout position at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Yadollahi said the union is “willing to do everything to reach a fair deal,” which is why it will present a counter proposal later on Wednesday and has extended its strike deadline.
Last week, the city said nearly all of its recreation centres and all 39 city-operated child care centres will close if workers strike. Cancellations would include March break camps run out of city rec centres, it said.
In an update on Friday, city manager Paul Johnson said all other key city services would continue uninterrupted, including emergency services, shelters, long-term care homes and transit.
The city has previously said it has offered a near 15 per cent general wage increase over four years.
It said it “remains committed to negotiating a new collective agreement that reflects the important work of City employees while also providing value for money for Toronto residents and businesses.”
