Town of Whitby and CUPE Local 53 reach tentative deal to end strike

A four-week strike may finally be at an end after both parties have come to a tentative agreement.

CUPE Local 53, which represents more than 300 full-time workers, engaged aggressive bargaining over the weekend. Few details are known at this time, but in a release Local president, Rob Radford said the union is hopeful their hard work will bring members a deal they can be proud of.

“After nearly a month on the lines, I am so proud of the members, the bargaining committee, our broader union, and the residents of Whitby who supported us through this,” said Radford.

The full-time workers have been on strike since Oct. 14. Their main issues focussed around scheduling. The town wanted more power around changing schedules if absolutely needed. During negotiations the town offered a 9.5 per cent wage increase, along with increased benefits and an additional personal day.

In a release from the town of Whitby, officials say the three-year agreement is fair and balances the needs of CUPE Local 53 workers and Whitby residents. This comes after CUPE ramped up their tactics over the past week, including holding up garbage drop-off locations. During the strike, town services were suspended including garbage pick-up, by-law and recreational facilities. It’s not clear exactly when things will re-open, but CUPE’s president says they are looking forward to getting back to business.

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“Now we’re ready to get back to delivering the services residents rely on and I’m happy to say that we’re prepared to present the tentative deal to the membership at the ratification vote.”

The ratification vote for CUPE Local 53 members is coming soon. Until the ratification vote is completed, no further information regarding the tentative agreement will be publicly available.