Posts Tagged ‘City of Toronto’
City of Toronto CUPE 79 and 416 Strike – Analysis of Agreement Being Reached
Regardless of how you felt about the whole strike situation, Mark Ferguson, President of CUPE 416 has to be given the credit for finally causing negotiations to come to a head and forcing the City to allow for an agreement that would avoid arbitration or a strike that could have dragged out all summer.
His threat to walk away from the table if the City didn’t get serious within 48 hours was well played for a number of reasons. One, it forced the City to get real and budge (to the degree we do not know). Two, even if it had failed, CUPE 416 stepping back from the table would have made it easier for McGuinty to step in and force arbitration as a lack of negotiations means the parties can’t solve it on their own.
It was clear that Miller and the Union both recognized the City’s position was indefensible at arbitration, so Ferguson setting things on course to find it’s way in that direction represents the kind of arm twisting it often takes for an adversarial round of negotiations to come to an end.
It is good news that CUPE 79 followed shortly after CUPE 416 penned the basis of an agreement earlier yesterday morning. My hope now is that Wednesday’s ratification among workers will go well, and end with a clear result.
I do have a warning for Councillors who also need to ratify the agreement – if Councillor’s act out against the Mayor and try to defeat the agreement during their ratification vote, I expect the damage that has been done to the Mayor would largely be reversed as trying to lock the workers out after a 36 day strike would result in a total electoral revolt I expect against all current elected officials, the left for causing the first strike and the right should they defeat the agreement forcing a lock out.
Everyone is going to need to act like adults, allow for things to get back to normal and for a process that will allow labour relations in this City to return to normal. An adversarial relationship between the City management and Union leadership can only serve to hurt Torontonians in the future and both sides have put residents through enough for many years to come with what has become the longest strike in the City’s 175 year history.
1 Comment »City of Toronto CUPE 79 and 416 Strike – Day 36 – CUPE 416 (Outside Workers) and City Reach Tentative Agreement!
Yesterday I wrote that Mark Ferguson did us all a big favour by threatening to walk away from the bargaining table if the City could not negotiate an agreement by Sunday at midnight. Talks were extended until 1am, and then 7:30am. It is now reported as of 8:30am on Monday morning that the City and the Union have reached a tentative agreement.
CUPE 79 continued to negotiate throughout the weekend, but did not threaten to walk away if talks did not result in a deal. They still do not have a tentative agreement reached, but it stands to reason that CUPE 79 will follow CUPE 416 and allow for the strike to end within days.
I have not seen the text of the tentative agreement, but it is promising that all members of the CUPE 416 negotiating committee voted unanimously to accept the deal.
The next step is ratification, which would take place by allowing CUPE 416 members to vote to accept or reject the deal. Union management now needs to sell the deal to its 6200 members, and hope that a majority vote to allow the agreement to be ratified and return outside workers to work.
I got an email from David Miller’s Director of Communications that was sent to all registered media who cover City Hall saying the Mayor will not comment on today’s developments until both unions have collective agreements. That in itself is promising as to me at least it seems like CUPE 79 will likely follow with an agreement of their own within a day or two, considering much of the inside workers leverage is gone when outdoor services resume.
This is good news for all residents in Toronto.
No Comments »City of Toronto CUPE 79 and 416 Strike – Day 35 – CUPE 416 Is Doing Toronto a Favour With ‘Walk Away’ Threat
On Friday when Mark Ferguson, President of CUPE 416 – the City’s outside workers, informed the City that they had until midnight on Sunday to reach an agreement or CUPE 416 would walk away from the table – he did us all a big favour. Frankly 35 fruitless days of negotiation is reason enough to walk away, and wait until something changes for either the union or the City, but in leaving the table Ferguson opens the door for back to work legislation in addition to forcing the City to take some responsibility for the strike.
For Miller the strike is about economics, for the workers its about fairness. Miller has a chronic spending problem, and for political reasons will not use his new powers under the City of Toronto act to correct them. As a result he relies on handouts and now beating up on unions to make his a bizarre fiscal arrangement work. Spending has gone up $2.2 billion per year under this Mayor. That’s 34% in five short years. Workers didn’t do that, and this sick pay bank didn’t do that – this was the Mayor and his Council.
While I hope the City and CUPE 416 can strike a deal and get everyone back to work, should they fail to, I hope the Premier at least will call the legislature back and issue back to work legislation. Worker’s cannot go forever without a cheque, many are probably unable to pay their bills as it as. Residents deserve their services restored and because we have a Council unable and unwilling to properly manage our City, the time is here for the Province to step in, and at least referee this current fight until residents can do something about their Council next year.
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