Communist Web Friday 21st April 2000 9.30pm gmt HISTORIC STRIKE BY 20,000 TORONTO CIVIC WORKERS TORONTO - The 20,000 members of CUPE Local 79 made history on March 31, as the largest municipal local in Canada to go on strike. By April 10, union members were anxiously awaiting details of a tentative agreement. Local 79 was forced to take strike action when the City refused to refer nine outstanding issues to arbitration, including the most important one: wage harmonization. Although the province amalgamated the City of Toronto in 1998, job classifications throughout the old municipalities have still not been merged, creating huge discrepancies in salaries. For example, a needle exchange counsellor from Etobicoke makes $12,000 less than co-workers from the former city of Toronto who do exactly the same job. As part of the amalgamation, workers in CUPE locals in the city went through a representation vote forced by the Harris government's Bill 136. After a bitter dispute, two locals emerged; outside and library workers chose Local 416, while inside workers maintained a separate local under the 79 banner. Local 416 members gained a new collective agreement last October, without taking strike action. Many outstanding issues, including wage harmonization, were referred to arbitration under the terms of the negotiated settlement. >From the beginning of the negotiation process, the city has ignored the unique characteristics of the predominantly female Local 79. Wage gains made during the pay equity battles of the early 1990s are in danger of being rolled back if the city refuses to address wage harmonization. Other issues under dispute are job security provisions, part-time workers' rights, benefits, promotions and layoff/recall language. Having had strong employment security language for 24 years, Local 79 is demanding that under any restructuring plans, workers are guaranteed 42 months of wage protection. Job security language is an absolute necessity to discourage privatization and contracting out. The city has also refused to acknowledge seniority in recall/layoff provisions. Included in the newly constituted Local 79 are 8000 part-time recreation staff, the majority of whom were not previously unionized. The city's refusal to acknowledge seniority of part-time workers in assigning hours and scheduling is a key issue standing in the way of a negotiated settlement. The Chief Administrative Officer, Michael Garrett, made it quite clear that the city's intention in negotiations was to create conditions conducive to the casualization of the workplace. Greater protection for part-time workers is essential to create... http://www.billkath.demon.co.uk/cw/historicstrike/historicstrike.html
