Daycare closed, garbage pickup suspended in event of workers strike

There will be significant impacts to child care services and garabage pickup in the event of a strike or lockout of Toronto’s city workers, City Manager Peter Wallace warns.

With 25,000 city employees and only 4,200 managers to fill in for them if they walk off the job, it stands to reason that services would greatly disrupted, Wallace told reporters at City Hall on Friday.

Wallace said garbage pickup east of Yonge Street would be suspended, with residents asked to store their garbage and organics for a week until temporary drop off sites can be established. A labour disruption could also affect residents west of Yonge Street, where garbage collection is contracted out. They could see delays if waste transfer stations are picketed.

All child care centres operated by the city will be closed, as would all city operated ice rinks and community centres.

Toronto Police, Fire Services, Paramedic Services, Long-Term Care Homes and Services as well as the TTC, Toronto Community Housing properties and most Toronto Public Library branches would not be affected.

“We remain very much committed to reaching negotiated settlements but we must also be responsible in preparing our operational contingency plans in advance of a potential labour disruption,” said Wallace. “As always, there is a high priority on maintaining public safety and ensuring the delivery of as many critical services as possible.”

Outside workers, which include garbage crews, water and parks staff, will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, and Feb. 20 for inside workers.

The city will also be in a legal lockout position at the same time.

Neogtiators for both the city and union have met more than 12 times since talks began in October 2015 but the two sides have been unable to come up with a deal.

Tim Maguire, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, which represents the inside workers, said they are focused on getting a deal done. He said previously that the city is proposing a destructive set of cuts but the unions have put together a joint proposal that, they believe, will save money and jobs.

“Although there are deep cuts, concessions, at the table, we think we’ve provided a way for the local and the city to show Torontonians that we’re working collaboratively to get a settlement within that period of time.”

In a letter to city councilors, Mayor John Tory called the proposals to the union “fair.”

“The City’s proposals to the union are fair and in keeping with those settlements that have been made by other public sector employers throughout the country,” the letter reads. “They include wage increases over the course of the agreement and language changes that will help us provide city services in a more effective manner in areas such as mobility of the workforce, stability in the cost of benefits, reduction in absenteeism and improved scheduling for part-time workers.”

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