Cleanup begins as Toronto unions return to work
The members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 416 voted Thursday to approve a new contract offer from the city, after a strike of over a month that has left day care centers without supervisors and trash bins overflowing. The outdoor workers have returned to work this morning ahead of a contract vote by the city council, working to start clearing the trash that accumulated during the strike. It is not a done deal though - the contract may not pass the city council. A coalition of 11 conservative councilors remains adamantly opposed to the deal. The deal offers a compromise on two main issues, grandfathering out an accumulation of sick leave policy, and raising wages and benefits 5.6% over three years. Many feel the deal is too expensive for the city and that Mayor Miller has 'let the city down.' Miller maintains that the compromise represents great progress from the union's original stance, and that the consequences of a continued strike would be dire.
See "Cleanup begins as Toronto unions return to work", CTV.ca, July 30, 2009