City of Toronto workers could be in legal strike position as of March 8

The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square is shown at city hall in Toronto on Sept. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler

Tens of thousands of city workers could go on strike or be locked out early next month after the Ontario Ministry of Labour granted their union a no-board report.

On Wednesday, the City of Toronto confirmed it had received the no-board report from the ministry.

The report starts a 17-day countdown towards a strike or a lockout deadline, which means the city’s 27,000 inside workers represented by CUPE Local 79 could walk off the job or be locked out at 12:01 a.m. on March 8 if no agreement is reached.

Better wages have been the central issue during negotiations, with the union saying they are underpaid and undervalued. CUPE Local 79 represents city workers in various public services including public health, city hall operations, ambulance dispatch, court services, child care and long-term care.

In January, more than 90 per cent of city workers voted in favour of a strike mandate in what the union says was a historic turnout.

The city said it tabled a proposal on Monday afternoon and is still waiting for the union to respond. According to City Manager Paul Johnson, the city is offering a nearly 15 per cent wage increase over the next your years.

“The city remains firmly committed to the bargaining process and has been at the table and available to meet with Local 79 to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that recognizes the vital contributions of City employees while ensuring value for Toronto residents and businesses, within the 17-day period before the deadline,” the statement issued by the city Wednesday night read.

The city noted that it has contingency plans in place in the event of a labour disruption.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Alex Arsenych