The city and the union representing Toronto's inside city workers are continuing negotiations as the deadline for legal strike action fast approaches.
CUPE Local 79, which represents workers including child-care workers, public health nurses, recreation-centre workers and janitors, will be in a legal position to strike as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
The union presented a proposal to the city late Thursday and the city countered with its own offer on Friday, deputy mayor Doug Holyday told CP24.
"We want to get this done by midnight tonight," Holyday said.
He said the city was able to reach a negotiated settlement with CUPE 416 earlier this year, the union which represents outside workers, and he is optimistic that the city will be able to make a deal with CUPE Local 79 as well.
For its part, the union has said that it will keep talking to the city as long as they can find common ground.
But the city and the union are still far apart on their desires, said CUPE Local 79 spokesperson Cim Nunn.
"I think we've got a long way to go and not a lot of time left," said Nunn.
Nunn updated reporters again at 11 p.m., saying there was no deal yet, but that both sides were talking and that they could go past the midnight deadline.
"I imagine that most of the movement is probably coming from
our side, but I couldn’t tell you for sure," he said.
Talks continued into the night.
The majority of city facilities, including all municipal daycares, pools, recreation centres, arenas, museums and art galleries, will be closed if workers walk off the job just after midnight on Saturday.
The major sticking points between the union and the city are benefits and job security. Many of the indoor workers represented by the union are part time and want the greater job security that full-time workers enjoy.
The majority of city facilities, including all municipal daycares, pools, recreation centres, arenas, museums and art galleries, will be closed if workers walk off the job.
Services that will not be affected in the event of a strike include wedding ceremonies, but only at city hall; legal documents, claims, and appeals at city hall; provincial offence courts; and urgent public-health services, including infectious disease control and the AIDS hotline.
As the city negotiates to prevent its inside workers from striking, library workers continue to walk the picket lines and they staged a rally at city hall Friday at noon.
Library workers walked off the job on March 18 and they continue to negotiate with the city to reach a new contract deal.
