Toronto city workers threaten to strike Monday morning if no deal reached

The union that represents roughly 30,000 Toronto city workers says it has set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. Monday.

In a news release, CUPE Local 79 said if a deal can't be reached by then, thousands of front-line city workers will walk off the job.

City officials, in their own news release issued Wednesday afternoon, stated a 12:01 a.m. Saturday deadline, with city manager Paul Johnson saying he was hoping to provide clarity to families wondering about childcare and camp spaces by Saturday morning.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning, Nas Yadollahi, president of CUPE Local 79, said the union received the city's final offer Tuesday afternoon, and it still falls short. She also accused city officials of "playing games with the livelihoods of 30,000 frontline workers and the vital services that the residents of Toronto rely on."

"We are regular working people, just like you — trying to live and raise our families in Toronto. We don't want to strike … we never have," she said.

"This is not just our fight, it's yours too. It's about the services every one of us relies on — services already stretched to the breaking point because of years of negligence."

The city is currently negotiating a new contract with its "inside workers," which 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.

Latest offer includes salary increase, city says

Johnson told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that the city's most recent offer includes eliminating minimum wage for all workers, and a 14.65 per cent salary increase to all positions over a four-year period, with a minimum 3.95 per cent increase in the first year of a potential deal.

That four-year salary increase figure is higher for certain roles like child-care aides, personal support workers and registered nurses, the city said in its news release, coming in at 16.7 per cent, 16.8 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.

The city says its offer also increases daily hours and shifts per pay period for staff working in long-term care, alongside benefit increases for areas like vision and gender-affirming care.

"Our final offer is a good deal," Johnson said. "It recognizes the value and the hard work of these members.

"They do incredible work across a wide variety of services."

Asked about the situation at an unrelated event Wednesday morning, Mayor Olivia Chow said she understands why workers are fighting for higher wages.

"I hope that [the union] and the City of Toronto continue talking to each other and find a solution, because the best agreement comes from negotiation," she said.

Some services would shutter in event of strike

The city says most services would continue in some capacity in the event of a strike, but a labour disruption would result in the closure of March break camps, affecting 4,600 people who are currently registered. Participants would be issued a refund if a strike happens, officials say.

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.

"Those services will not be affected," he said.

In its statement, the union alleged the city hasn't seriously negotiated, and instead stalled proceedings while critical public services are understaffed, citing hundreds of vacancies in areas like Toronto Public Health, long-term care homes, recreation and housing programs.

"Frontline workers — child care staff, shelter workers, public health nurses, recreation workers, personal support workers, and caseworkers in employment services — are struggling to afford to live in the city they serve," said Yadollahi.

"Yet the City continues to show them nothing but a lack of respect."

The union says it will be providing a counter-offer to the city's latest proposal Wednesday.