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• March 26, 2012
• March 22, 2012
• March 19, 2012
• March 13, 2012
• March 9, 2012
• March 2, 2012
• February 2, 2012
• December 15, 2011
• December 6, 2011
• November 16, 2011
• November 10, 2011

March 26, 2012

City's final offer to CUPE Local 79 to go to ratification vote

Shortly after midnight, the City of Toronto reached an agreement with CUPE Local 79 that will see the City's final offer go to the union membership for a ratification vote on Wednesday, March 28. The City has four collective agreements with Local 79 (Full-time, Part-time B, Long-Term Care Homes and Services and Recreation Workers units) representing 23,000 workers. Read more

Read highlights of key terms and conditions of employment and benefits in the City's March 24, 2012, Final Proposal to CUPE Local 79 in all four CUPE Units and the TCEU Local 416 (CUPE) Collective Agreement.

March 22, 2012

Locals 79 and 4948 commissioned Environics Research Group to conduct a public services/labour relations survey Neither union fully released the survey specifics. Read a commentary on the survey and its results.

March 19, 2012

CUPE Local 79 has set a strike vote for Tuesday, March 20. The union has stated in its announcement that its goal is "winning fair collective agreements without a strike". The way to do that is to by negotiating the new collective agreements at the bargaining table. Read more

March 13, 2012

The City is attempting to negotiate reasonableness back into the terms and conditions of employment with its unions. The City's proposed language would still provide leading terms and conditions of employment compared to other public or private sector employers. Read the City's statement on Local 79's bargaining proposals

March 9, 2012

The City received written notification of the signed "No Board" report regarding Local 79 bargaining from the Ministry of Labour. Local 79 is in a legal strike position and the City in a legal lockout position as at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 24; that is, one minute past midnight on the Friday night.

March 2, 2012

The City of Toronto requested a "No Board" report from the Minister of Labour with regard to collective bargaining with the CUPE Local 79, representing approximately 23,000 "inside workers" in four collective agreements. Read more.

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February 2, 2012

The City and Local 79 continue to negotiate and have bargaining dates booked through to the end of February. The unfair labour practice hearing scheduled for January 31 was adjourned.

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December 15, 2011

The City and the union met with the Labour Relations Officer at a pre-hearing meeting. The parties agreed to adjourn the December 20, 2011 hearing into the unfair labour practices complaints to January 31, 2012.

December 6, 2011

The following provides a chronology of events related to the City's collective bargaining process with CUPE Local 79 between November 16 and December 6:

December 5, 2011

• The Labour Relations Officer appointed by the OLRB rescheduled the pre-hearing meeting regarding the Unfair Labour Practice complaints for December 15, 2011.
• The City of Toronto filed its response to Local 79's Unfair Labour Practice complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

December 1, 2011

• Further to Local 79's request that the pre-hearing into the Unfair Labour Practice complaints scheduled for December 9, 2011 be canceled, the Labour Relations Officer appointed by the OLRB contacted the parties to reschedule the pre-hearing meeting.

November 25, 2011

• The OLRB wrote to the parties convening a hearing into the Unfair Labour Practice complaint on December 20, 2011.
• The City Manager's Office contacted Local 79 and offered to arrange a meeting or telephone call on November 28, 2011 to provide a high level overview of the budget and the budget process. Local 79's president-elect turned down the invitation.

November 24, 2011

• The Conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour at the request of the City wrote to Local 79 and the City convening a conciliation meeting on December 9, 2011.

November 23, 2011

• The Labour Relations Officer appointed by the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) in the Unfair Labour Practice complaints contacted the parties to schedule a pre-hearing meeting.

November 22, 2011

• Local 79 filed an Unfair Labour Practice Complaint alleging:
  • Local 79's inability to commence bargaining as a result of its internal politics
  • Local 79's inability to commence bargaining as a result of a lack of financial information
  • The City's high level website summary for members of the public and City employees of bargaining events to date constitutes a violation of the Labour Relations Act
• The City wrote to Local 79 providing long term disability information and links to financial material that Local 79 had indicated it did not possess.

November 17, 2011

• The City wrote to Local 79 providing information requested in Local 79's letter of November 10, 2011 and indicating more information would follow.

November 16, 2011

• Local 79 wrote to the City requesting further financial information.

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November 16, 2011

The following provides a chronology of some of the key events related to the City collective bargaining process with CUPE Local 79 until November 16:

November 15, 2011

• The City replied to Local 79's letter. The City told Local 79 and advised that it was more than ready to provide Local 79 with the information, requested in its November 10 correspondence, by Friday, November 18, 2011.
• The City also advised that, if a perceived lack of financial information was the major stumbling block to bargaining, the City expected that, with the benefit of the information that it requested in its correspondence of November 10, Local 79 would be ready to commence bargaining by exchanging comprehensive proposals on November 22, 2011, and will continue bargaining on a regular basis thereafter.

November 10, 2011

• Local 79 issued a news release indicating that it had repeatedly written to the City seeking financial information and claiming that the City was stonewalling the Union in this regard. At the same time, Local 79 wrote to the City and requested the disclosure of various information related to benefits and payroll matters.
• This was the first occasion on which a request for specific information was made by the Union.

November 8, 2011

• The City filed a Request for the Appointment of a Conciliation Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labour and filed a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board on the grounds that Local 79 has refused to comply with the requirements of section 17 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 by refusing to meet with the City within 15 days from the day upon which the City gave its 'Notice to Commence Bargaining.'

November 8, 2011

• The City wrote to Local 79 expressing disappointment with its continued refusal to start bargaining. The City advised that it believed it was left with no choice but to move the process forward by:
  1. Filing a request for the appointment of a conciliation officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, and
  2. Filing a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board on the grounds that Local 79 has refused to comply with the requirements of section 17 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 by refusing to meet with the City within 15 days from the day upon which the City gave its 'Notice to Commence Bargaining.'

November 7, 2011

• Local 79 advised that although Local 79 and its consultants would attend the information session on November 15, 2011, it would not be in a position to exchange bargaining proposals on November 22, 2011, and did not offer an alternative date.

November 1, 2011

• The City wrote to Local 79 in an effort to set up a special meeting on November 15, 2011 with the City's Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and the Director of the Pension, Payroll and Employee Benefits Division to present information with regard to the City's budgetary shortfall and its current and financial challenges. In return, the City sought a commitment from Local 79 to come to the bargaining table on November 22, 2011, and to continue bargaining on a regular basis thereafter.

October 28, 2011

• Local 79 replied to the City's letter. Local 79 again repeated that it was not in a position to exchange proposals on October 31, 2011, and did not offer an alternative date. Local 79 requested that a meeting be arranged to discuss the disclosure of financial and economic information.

October 26, 2011

• The City wrote to Local 79 and told Local 79 that the City would have its Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer present information with regard to the City's budgetary shortfall and its current and future financial challenges. The City re-confirmed its commitment to meet on October 31, 2011, to exchange bargaining proposals and start bargaining.

October 24, 2011

• Local 79 replied to the City's letter. Local 79 repeated that it was not still ready to commence bargaining. It did not advise as to when it would be in a position to do so. In addition, Local 79 requested, for the first time, that the City "open up its books."

October 19, 2011

• The City wrote to Local 79 and proposed to meet on October 31, 2011, to exchange bargaining proposals and start bargaining.

October 17, 2011

• The City met with Local 79 as previously agreed. The City told Local 79 that it was prepared to exchange bargaining proposals that day. The Union told the City that it was not prepared to commence collective bargaining.

October 4, 2011

• The City served Local 79 with written 'Notice to Commence Bargaining.' The City also told Local 79 that it wanted to start bargaining within 15 days, as legislated under the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

September 14, 2011

• The City put Local 79 on verbal notice that it was going to serve it with its written Notice to Commence Bargaining in early October 2011 as per the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

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