TORONTO – Toronto’s outside workers are scheduled to vote today on a tentative agreement aimed at ending the city’s six-week strike.
The vote by members of CUPE Local 416 was held up because of a dispute with the city over a return-to-work protocol. Inside workers, represented by Local 79, voted to accept the city’s offer and said work wouldn’t resume until both votes had occurred.
A union official has said if the majority agree to the new contract they could be back to work by Friday, ahead of a city council vote.
Many of Toronto’s public parks are filled to overflowing with rancid garbage and it will be a major task to tidy up the city.
Local 416 president Mark Ferguson says the agreement allows city workers to perform a major part of the cleanup.
City run daycares, pools and recreational programs should also be back up and running quickly if the members accept the new contract.
The two CUPE locals represent a total of 30,000 workers, but about 6,000 were deemed essential and did not walk off the job.
