Over the weekend, the union representing thousands of municipal outside workers and the City of Toronto announced a tentative agreement had been reached, averting a potential labour disruption.
This comes after six months of collective bargaining between both parties, and now, the City of Toronto and TCEU Local 416 – CUPE reached a tentative agreement late Friday evening and avoided a labour disruption that would have impacted City services like snow removal, road maintenance, and garbage pickup.
READ: Outside Workers Strike Could Lead to Lack of Snow Removal this Weekend
Brad Ross, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto said the five-year agreement is fair to Toronto residents and Local 416 workers.
"All City services, including City-owned arenas, remain open as usual. Curbside and commercial garbage collection will also continue as scheduled," said Ross.
According to Ross, details of the tentative agreement will remain confidential until the union membership and city council review the agreement and vote on ratification, both of which are planned for this week.
“This agreement is timely, it is affordable, and it is responsible,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory to reporters Saturday morning. “I firmly believe this is a good outcome for everyone.”
About 5,000 City employees – often referred to as “outside workers” – were without a contract since December 31, 2019. The main focus of the contract renegotiations included job security, parental leave, benefits, and wages.
