Image: Digital Journal
On Tuesday, Toronto’s 23,000 inside workers overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike mandate, unless a contract is successfully negotiated with the city.
The inside workers’ union, CUPE Local 79, gave formal notice that its members would be willing to go on strike as early as Saturday.If contract negotiation remains unsuccessful, Toronto’s inside workers will join 2,300 striking library employees, who started picketing on Monday.
Read More: Toronto’s Library Workers on Strike After Talks Fail
Read More: Toronto’s Inside City Workers Vote to Strike, Unless Deal Reached by Saturday
Toronto’s inside workers includes city child care workers, nurses, janitors, parks and recreation staff and ambulance dispatchers. The union’s city contract expired on Dec. 31, 2011. On Tuesday, over 85 per cent of its members voted in favour of a strike.
The members of both CUPE Local 79, and CUPE Local 4948, the Toronto Library Workers Union, are fighting to protect their job security, and basic employment rights.
Read More: What the Labour Disruption Means; What’s Closed at the TPL?
In January, Rob Ford’s budget passed with $3.9-million, or ten per cent, in cuts to Toronto Public Libraries. Since 2011, 107 full-time jobs and 22 per cent of their part-time workers were laid off. Yikes. Toronto’s library workers, who were working to establish a new agreement last week, have been working without a contract since Jan. 1.
Yet, not all of Toronto’s city staff are protesting – last month, Toronto’s outside workers ratified a new contract that included wage increases, but did not promise stability. Still, these union revolts send a strong message to city council, and Mayor Rob Ford, to re-prioritize civil servants, who are in fear of losing their jobs.
But does CUPE Local 79 and CUPE Local 4948 have adequate grounds to strike, or are they simply rocking the boat?
Toronto Standard investigates, using local voices. And, maybe Kirsten Dunst in Strike, too.
Read our Storify story or see below.
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Joanna Adams writes the Morning Cable, and lots more, for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at †@nowstarringTO.
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