History set the tone for Toronto, union negotiations

[Skybean]

Marcus Gee
History set the tone for Toronto, union negotiations
Marcus Gee | Columnist profile | E-mail
Globe and Mail Update
Published Sunday, Feb. 05, 2012 11:35AM EST
Last updated Sunday, Feb. 05, 2012 11:40AM EST

The rumours of war have been so persistent for so many months that at first it was hard to absorb the news that City of Toronto had reached a deal with its outside workers on Sunday morning. After a full night of bargaining, an exhausted-looking Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, emerged first to tell the media “we are extremely excited” to have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract covering garbage, emergency-services and other workers. Mayor Rob Ford came next, calling it an “absolutely fantastic day” for the taxpayers. “We do not have a strike and we're going to keep this city moving.”

Mr. Ford, of course, is famous across the country for vowing to “stop the gravy train” and cut waste at city hall. He has made it perfectly clear since coming to office in December, 2010, that he thinks that city workers are part of the gravy, that the city has far too many of them and that he would be demanding more from everyone. Governments around Canada have been watching the dispute, expecting it to set a tone as they look for sacrifices from public-service unions in a time of deficits and austerity.

...

Now this: a settlement between a tough-minded conservative mayor and a determined left-leaning union. It seemed like an irony that Mr. Ford could settle with one of his unions while his predecessor David Miller, a former NDP activist who was sympathetic to the union cause, took a bitter 39-day strike in the summer of 2009. “Is it true the union could break Miller's heart, but they couldn't break yours?” one reporter asked Mr. Ford Sunday morning.

The 2009 dispute helped lay the ground for this one. The strike drained public sympathy for the city unions, making it difficult for them to plausibly use the strike threat again. They have been saying for weeks that they had no intention of striking and they did not even hold a strike vote, a common move as negotiations get tough.

The city, for its part, reacted to the events of 2009 by deciding to force matters to a head early. The city is most vulnerable in the summer, when a walkout by garbage workers would mean smelly garbage piling up in heavily-used public parks. The deputy mayor, Doug Holyday, said the city would not let the union employ delaying tactics to drag out talks until the summer.

Instead, the city set a deadline of a minute after midnight on Feb. 5. Many had assumed the city would lock out its workers at that time if a deal had not been reached. The union's propaganda for the last couple of weeks seemed intended to portray it as the injured party if workers were indeed locked out. Mr. Ferguson was suddenly all moderation and optimism, saying first that the union would agree to settle for no pay increase and that it had no plans to strike. If it came to a lockout, he could say: We were talking and making concessions, so why the need to lock us out of our jobs?

But on Friday, in an unusual and aggressive move, the city said that it would not lock out the union at midnight. Instead it would impose new working conditions set out in its most recent contract proposal. The city was demanding more flexibility in how it deploys and, if necessary, lays off its employees.

The tactic put the union in a fix. Going to work on Monday morning as usual under new city-imposed conditions might have seemed like a tacit acceptance of them, a fait accompli. Suddenly calling a strike in protest at the city's move would have been equally tough for the union, given they had said they had no strike plans. Mr. Ferguson called the city a “bully” for making the threat but stayed at the bargaining table. Some time in the dark hours of Sunday morning, a deal was done.

We don't know yet what that deal contains and we probably won't until it is ratified by union members. But Mr. Ferguson indicated he had made important concessions. If so, and Mr. Ford has managed to wring big gains from a tough union rival without even an hour of strike or lockout, then it will be a big political win for Canada' most-watched mayor.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2327082/

[intervention]

Shameless ammunition to ~protect the taxpayer~

[LEAFS FANATIC]

Excellent work by Mr. Ford and his team yet NOT ONE of his SSC haters give him credit on this one. Oh, but hold on, his SSC haters are left-wing, union-sympathizing downtowners that could never give credit where credit is due! God forbid!

[rbt]

Originally Posted by LEAFS FANATIC

Excellent work by Mr. Ford and his team yet NOT ONE of his SSC haters give him credit on this one. Oh, but hold on, his SSC haters are left-wing, union-sympathizing downtowners that could never give credit where credit is due! God forbid!

I haven't seen actual details of the contract released.

What was the pay raise promised? What concessions were actually given? We know what was asked for and we know Ferguson claims they were important but he isn't going to say he gave up something they didn't care about; that would make things far more difficult next time around.

I will congratulate Ford once I know what to congratulate him for; provided it doesn't hurt my portfolio (bank profits from management of union retirement funds).

[Skybean]

City workers to get 6% pay hike over four years
Published On Mon Feb 13 2012

Outdoor city workers will get a 6 per cent raise over four years in exchange for significant concessions on job security.

Members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416 ratified the proposed collective agreement on Monday.

It was endorsed by a “large majority” of members, said local president Mark Ferguson.

“We faced incredible challenges in this round of bargaining including an employer that failed to reach compromises at many points,” he said.

Council will almost certainly approve the agreement at its special meeting Wednesday.

“It’s great news for taxpayers and it’s great news for the unions,” Mayor Rob Ford said on Monday night.

Under the contract, the city will spend millions more on wages than it would have had Ford accepted Local 416’s unusual public offer to take a three-year wage freeze.

Ford, however, earned more freedom to reap savings through outsourcing.

He also ensured labour peace for four years.

The previous collective agreement lasted three years.

“The contract is a good one for the employees and a good one for the taxpayers. The fact that it goes four years is especially good, because it’ll take us past the (2015) Pan Am Games,” said Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday.

“We said right off the bat that it wasn’t just about wages. We didn’t mind a fair wage increase, and I think what we’ve offered is fair; we had to have some of these management rights back, and we were able to obtain them.”

Under the previous agreement, the city’s hands were tied by a job security provision that guaranteed continued employment for employees made redundant by outsourcing.

Under the new agreement, only employees who have worked for the city for 15 years will get such security.

“In this day and age, you’ll take what you can get,” said Darrel Bailey, a road worker with 32 years’ experience. “I think it’s a good deal. Except for the guys with 10 years but less than 15 years — it’s not good for them.”
...

http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhall...-pay-hike?bn=1

[sgups]

Doesnt look like a bad deal from here. I guess the workers were under the gun to ratify because of 2009 so they not look like villains? I cant imagine any union giving up job security so easily.

[Innsertnamehere]

that's below inflation, so I consider that quite good.