Toronto-run daycares, rec centres will close if city workers strike, says city manager

In one week, roughly 30,000 city workers could enter a strike position, and the City of Toronto is warning families ahead of March break that while most services would continue in some capacity, most recreation centres and all city-run child-care centres would close.

City manager Paul Johnson told reporters Friday that a labour disruption involving CUPE Local 79 members could still be avoided ahead of next week's strike/lockout deadline, but the city wanted to give people fair warning.

"I think families need to know that well in advance," Johnson said. "I also want to stress, though, that does not mean that labour disruption will occur. We continue to be at the table."

In the event of a strike or lockout, Johnson said most of the city's recreation centres would close, and any March break camps scheduled to operate out of them would be cancelled. All 39 city-run child-care centres would also close, he said.

If there is a labour disruption, Johnson said the city would not charge families for city-run daycare spots and would refund fees for recreational programming.

Other key services, like city-run long-term care facilities, emergency services and garbage collection, as well as city-run shelters, warming centres and drop-in centres, would continue to operate, Johnson said.

"We have contingency plans for all of that," he said.

Long-term care workers are deemed essential workers and cannot strike, the city says.

Talks continue as March 8 deadline approaches

The city is currently negotiating a new contract for its "inside workers," which are represented by CUPE Local 79. They include staff in sectors like emergency dispatch, court services, 311 and shelters. They also include recreation workers and staff at city-run child-care centres.

Last week, Ontario's Ministry of Labour issued a no board report, signalling that negotiations between the union and city have stalled. It means that by the end of next week, CUPE will be in a legal strike position and the city will be in a legal lockout position. The official deadline is March 8 at 12:01 a.m.

CUPE had requested the no board report after more than 90 per cent of union members voted in favour of a strike mandate last month.

Union says city downplaying potential strike impact

Union members are holding "information pickets" at different locations throughout the city Friday to draw attention to what's at stake in the event of a strike or lockout.

Nas Yadollahi, president of CUPE Local 79, said Friday that wages are the major sticking point in negotiations right now. She said low pay has led to job vacancies that affect workers and service, while executive pay has continued to rise.

"They're just not paying workers enough to recruit and retain them," Yadollahi said while out with members in downtown Toronto.

"This is beyond the concern of workers for themselves, this is about the people of Toronto and the fact that public services have been in decline because of mismanagement and underinvestment for decades," she said.

Yadollahi also questioned how the city could continue to operate many services beyond child-care and recreation if close to 30,000 members went on strike.

"I think the city is trying to minimize the impact this is going to have so that they're not getting heat and pushback from the residents of Toronto, but the impact is going to be massive," she said.

The city's latest offer to union members included a pay increase of nearly 15 per cent over four years, according to the city's labour negotiations web page, which was updated Friday. The city says the union representing the city's outdoor workers accepted a similar increase in December.

The city has also offered to discuss special wage adjustments for certain jobs to bring them up to market levels, like nurses and municipal standards officers.

Johnson said the city has also offered to ensure 92 per cent of all part-time recreation hours worked will be paid above minimum wage, compared with 57 per cent last year. In a previous update this month, the city said only 43 per cent of those hours were paid above minimum wage last year.

Union leader Yadollahi says that's not good enough.

"This is the most expensive city in Canada, and the city has no business paying its workers a provincial minimum," she said Friday. "It is unacceptable that those who serve our communities struggle to make ends meet."

City celebration postponed due to strike, lockout threat

The threat of a labour disruption has led the organizers of Celebrate Toronto to postpone the city's 191st anniversary bash to April 5, according to a news release Friday.

"Celebrate Toronto relies on city staff for logistical support to operate safely and efficiently," Celebrate Toronto CEO Micayla Doria said in the release. 

"If a strike or lockout occurs, the essential event services and support that we depend on will not be available.