Toronto strike not over yet

CUPE local 79 votes for new contract, local 416 yet to hold vote
Both unions hashing out back to work protocol before they resume jobs
By Kris Scheuer
(Click here for July 30 update on end of strike)

Strikers are still maintaining picket lines on day 38 of labour unrest.
Today, local 79 that represents city inside workers including long term care nurses and day care workers voted for a new deal. The contract awards them with a six percent raise over three years and options to continue to bank sick days or opt for a buy out and switch to new short term disability plan.
Employees may have voted for the deal today, but they will walking the picket lines rather than back to work tomorrow
Union president Ann Dembinski stated tonight, that Local 79 has ratified the “Memorandums of Agreement”  for its full and part time workers.
However, “Back to work protocols are still being worked on. Please report to your picket site until further notice,” she said in a July 29 statement on CUPE local 79‘s website. Mayor David Miller said striking workers can come back to work anytime as far as the city’s concerned.
“The union local advised the City of the vote results at 9 p.m. tonight. CUPE Local 79 staff have overwhelmingly endorsed the new collective agreement,” Miller stated on the city’s site.
“The City is ready to welcome all staff back to work beginning with their regular shifts at midnight tonight. However, CUPE Local 79 has refused to sign a return to work agreement and therefore the strike is not officially over.”Meanwhile, CUPE local 416 that represents outside workers including garbage collectors have not even held a vote for a new contract.
“We have not yet been able to schedule the vote because we are still trying to complete an important back-to-work protocol with the city,” states Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE local 416. “We need this protocol to protect our work doing the clean up of the city and ensure there are no reprisals against any individuals for actions during the strike.”
“Please keep the picket lines strong,” he said in a statement on the union’s site. “We need your support now to negotiate a back-to-work protocol, just like we needed it to achieve our tentative agreement.”

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