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Province Issues “No Board” Report; City and Inside Workers Now Closer to Labour Disruption
Legal strike or lockout possible as of March 25.
Word came down a few minutes ago that the Ontario Ministry of Labour has granted a “no board” report in negotiations between the City of Toronto and CUPE 79, which represents approximately 25,000 so-called inside workers. The City requested the report last Friday, a sign that talks with the union had stalled. As a result, a legal strike or lockout is possible starting March 24. CUPE 79 workers include nurses, social service and child care workers, ambulance dispatchers, food safety inspectors, and staff at City and Metro halls.
In a press conference yesterday, CUPE 79 president Tim Maguire said that one of the key sticking points in negotiations is the treatment of part-time workers. More specifically, he said that the City wants to end the practice of assigning hours based on seniority, which “would represent a drastic change in their thousands of part-time members’ ability to make a decent living.”
This post originally said that a legal strike or lockout is possible starting March 25. Legal strike or lockout is actually possible as of March 24.