The City of Toronto has publicly released its latest contract offer to the outdoor workers' union, calling for an end to so-called "jobs-for-life" provisions for employees with less than 25 years of seniority.
In a statement released on Monday, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, chair of the employee and labour relations committee, outlined the city's latest offer to CUPE Local 416.
According to the statement, the city's latest offer would maintain employment security provisions for workers with 25 years or more of seniority and a one-time lump wage payment for those with less than 25 years seniority. The city said the deal would ensure labour stability for the next four years.
The union said on Monday afternoon that an agreement on the latest contract offer couldn't be reached because the city walked away from the bargaining table.
Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, which represents some 6,000 outside workers including paramedics and garbage collectors, told reporters that the union hasn't had time to discuss the latest contract offer with the city.
"Their departure from the bargaining table, we believe, was premature," he said.
Ferguson said that the union was looking for a wage freeze.
He said that the union doesn't believe the city's latest offer provides cost savings or that it saves city programs.
"Their proposal today only addressed wages in terms of a lump sum payment which is not a wage increase," he said.
Those at the city refer to the employment security provisions as "jobs for life" agreements and have been working to remove them from union contracts.
According to the city, the current collective bargaining agreement makes it nearly impossible to change shift schedules or adjust other working conditions.
"This offer reflects our continuing commitment to get a negotiated settlement with Local 416 and avoid a labour disruption," Holyday said in a statement. "This offer provides the City with much-needed changes and will allow us to improve the delivery of city services."
The offer comes after CUPE publicly released its own offer last week, offering to freeze wages for the next three years in exchange for no changes to the conditions of its collective agreement – a deal which would have saved the city $8.5 million a year.
Holyday rejected the offer, saying on Monday that it did not address the concerns of city hall.
"The City has repeatedly said that this round of bargaining is about getting changes to the collective agreement that will give us the flexibility we require to improve services for our residents and taxpayers," Holyday said in a statement.
"Local 416's announcement of a wage freeze does not address those restrictive provisions, except to maintain them for three more years, and is nothing more than a ploy to avoid negotiating on the City's primary objective to find relief from some of the most restrictive and inefficient terms and conditions in the country."
Ferguson said that the union isn't planning for a strike or labour disruption.
"It's not in our plans," Ferguson said. "The same can't be said for the city where contingency plans continue at a fast pace right now."
The current stalemate comes after the city took steps that would allow it to lock out unionized workers by early February.
Last Thursday, city officials requested a "No Board Report" from the Ontario Minister of Labour, starting a 17-day countdown until the city is in a legal lockout position and the union can legally go on strike.
Ferguson has said the city is using the labour relations board as a way to bully the union into an agreement.
He said the city has shown no willingness to negotiate a deal with the workers, saying a meeting on Thursday lasted three minutes.
Holyday said the City was willing to negotiate until a deal is reached, but "cannot negotiate against itself."
Collective bargaining with another union continues. The two have been without contracts since the agreements ended on Dec. 31.
The city claims it has a plan in place to maintain key city services in the event of a strike.
Ferguson said the next meeting between the union and the city will take place Thursday.
