Two unions representing City of Toronto employees may be in a legal strike position at the same time, following requests for "no-board" reports.
On Friday, the city requested a no-board report to be issued by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after failing to reach an agreement in talks with the outdoor workers' union.
Just hours after the city announced its request, the union representing Toronto's inside workers filed a similar request to the province.
The province issues no-board reports when negotiating parties' differences are too great for conciliation. The notice informs the union and employer that the conciliation officer does not consider it advisable to appoint a conciliation board, hence "no board."
Following a no-board report, the ministry assigns a third-party mediator to work with the employer and the union to reach a collective agreement. The union will be in a legal strike position, and the employer will be in a legal lockout position, approximately 17 days from the date of issuance.
In a statement Friday, the city said it has been unable to reach an agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 416. The union represents the city's outdoor employees, including garbage collectors, park staff and snowplow operators.
The union workers have been without a contract since Dec. 31.
At a news conference Friday, the president of CUPE Local 79 said his union has also filed a request for a no-board. Members of that union have also been without a contract since the end of last year.
President Tim Maguire said the union, which represents Toronto's indoor workers, is hopeful that they will be able to negotiate a deal without striking.
Members of the union include employees at Toronto Community Housing, recreation centres, childcare programs and long-term care facilities. More than half of its members are full-time temporary or part-time workers, and are concerned about job stability, he said.
