Toronto unions reject city’s latest offer

CUPE outraged Miller chose to negotiate a strike deal in public
Unions present counterproposal to city in private

By Kris Scheuer
The city’s striking unions are keeping their cards close to their chests by not revealing the counter-offer they will be presenting a response to Mayor David Miller’s latest offer tonight. 
Miller made the city’s offer public at a press conference held earlier today, click here for that story. 
Mark Ferguson, president of local 416, told the Town Crier he is not impressed with the city’s strategy of bargaining in public. 
“The long and the short of it is we are disgusted the city would result to this strategy instead of bargaining (in private),” Ferguson said July 10. “The strategy was ill advised.” 
Union locals 416 and 79, on strike since June 22, represent city workers employed in various municipal departments, including garbage collection and parks and recreation. 
He said the unions have reviewed the city’s latest offer of wage increases of one percent this year, followed by one percent next year, two percent in 2011 and three percent in 2012. 
“We are disappointed the city’s wage (offer) is wholly inadequate,” Ferguson said. 
A more reasonable offer is pay hikes of three percent or more yearly, which is more in line with what other unions have received from the city, he added. 
“We don’t believe our members are second class citizens,” he said.

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City reveals strike settlement offer publicly

Toronto Mayor David Miller unveils city’s proposal to unions
It includes 7.2 pay hike over 4 years and paying employees for banked sick days

By Kris Scheuer
For the first time since the high stakes game between the city and its striking unions began, the mayor gambled by publicly revealing his cards.
Since the strike began June 22, the city has held its cards close to their chest. Today that changed.
The city laid out what it considers a winning hand by offering striking employees a wage hike of 7.2 percent spread over four years.
The city contract offer starts with a one-percent raise this year, the same next year, followed by a two percent hike in 2011 and three percent in 2012.
See the whole proposal here.
“Over the last three weeks employees and Torontonians have been given very little information. There are good reasons for that as it’s always better to negotiate at the table than through the media,” Mayor David Miller said at a press conference the morning of July 10. “Yesterday our negotiators tabled an offer that I believe should allow us to end this strike today.”
“After more than 160 meetings with the two union locals and provincial conciliators, we are ready to reveal details of this offer to ensure that Torontonians and city workers are well informed on key bargaining issues,” he said today.