City brings in third party in effort to speed up labour negotiations

TORONTO – The city of Toronto is requesting a conciliator to assist in its collective agreement negotiations with CUPE Local 416, which represents approximately 6,000 outside city workers that provide services ranging from road maintenance to garbage collection .

Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who also chairs the labour relations committee, said negotiations need to speed up.

“There is a feeling on the city’s part that we need to progress a little faster if we are going to reach any sort of arrangement and that’s what we are hoping for,” Minnan-Wong said.

“The collective agreement ends at the end of the year and we would like to get a negotiated settlement – it’s in the best interest of the workers, it’s in the best interest of the city and it’s in the best interest of the taxpayer.”

Minnan-Wong added the city would like to avoid any possible labour disruption.

CUPE Local 416 issued a statement saying “we were surprised to learn that the City of Toronto has requested conciliation.”

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“Yesterday, the City tabled substantial proposals that we were quickly moving to respond to. In spite of this, the City proceeded to apply for conciliation without receiving our response,” the statement said.

In October, the city entered into bargaining negotiations with CUPE, Local 79 and TCEU, Local 416 CUPE, which in total represents 28,500 inside and outside city workers.

Contracts are set to expire on Dec. 31.