City of Toronto Outlines Labour Disruption Impacts as Negotiations Continue

February 28, 2025 News Room 0 Comments 2 min read

TORONTO – The city of Toronto is bracing for potential service disruptions as the City continues negotiations with Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, which represents approximately 27,000 inside workers. With the union set to be in a legal strike position and the City in a legal lockout position at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, officials have begun outlining the effects a labour disruption could have on families and services.

Service Impacts on Families and the Public

If a labour disruption occurs, the City has confirmed that all 39 City-operated early learning and child care centres will close. Additionally, all City-run recreation centres will shut down, leading to the cancellation of March Break camps and other programming. Refunds will be provided for paid recreation programs affected by the disruption, and parents will not be charged for days when City-operated child care centres are closed.

Despite the potential labour action, emergency services, including the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, and Toronto Paramedic Services, will remain fully operational. The Toronto Community Crisis Service will also continue to function as usual. Winter road and sidewalk maintenance will not be affected.

Today’s (Feb 28) press conference about a possible #CityOfTO labour disruption discussed special wage adjustments with the union for certain occupations, incl nurses, call takers, dispatchers and their training officers, law clerks, prosecutors and municipal standards officers. pic.twitter.com/zR6Xb7iEXH

— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) February 28, 2025

Other essential services that will continue include:

Seniors Services and Long-Term Care operations
TTC services
Toronto Community Housing operations
Toronto Water services
City-operated and funded shelters, 24-hour respite centres, and drop-in programs

The City has also committed to activating additional services, such as Warming Centres, in response to cold weather conditions. Court proceedings will continue as scheduled, with individuals required to attend trial dates.

Bargaining Update

Negotiations between the City and CUPE Local 79 have been ongoing since December 2024, with the City expressing its commitment to reaching an agreement that acknowledges the contributions of City employees while balancing fiscal responsibility.

The City has proposed a general wage increase of nearly 15 per cent over four years, aligning with the agreement reached with Toronto Civic Employees Union (TCEU) Local 416 (outside workers) in December 2024. Additional targeted salary increases have been tabled for roles where the City acknowledges compensation does not match market levels.

A significant investment has been proposed for part-time recreation staff, ensuring that 92 per cent of part-time recreation hours are paid above minimum wage—up from 57 per cent in 2023. This investment would total $2.7 million in recreation worker compensation.

For part-time staff in long-term care homes, the City has proposed additional guarantees, including daily hours and more predictable shifts, to improve job stability.

Further wage adjustments have been tabled for key roles, including nurses, call takers, dispatchers, law clerks, prosecutors, and municipal standards officers, to ensure salaries are competitive with market rates.

Residents can find the latest updates on City services and bargaining developments at www.toronto.ca/labour.

SOURCE City of Toronto