30,000 City of Toronto workers could soon go on strike

The union representing 30,000 City of Toronto workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike on Tuesday. 

CUPE Local 79 represents tens of thousands of Toronto’s inside workers across various sectors, including public health, planning, City Hall operations, employment and social services, ambulance dispatch, child care, 311, recreation programming, water and food inspection, shelters, and long-term care. 

The union’s president Nas Yadollahi told reporters that over 90 per cent of workers who participated voted in favour of a strike. 

“Today, our membership has given us a clear sign that they expect to see an end to a climate of austerity and that their work is worth being able to earn enough to live in the city they serve,” said Yadollahi. 

“The major issue for our workers is wages, which hasn’t been keeping up with anything, frankly. So wages is going to be our biggest point.” 

Yadollahi said that 43 per cent of part-time recreation workers are being paid a minimum wage, with 94 per cent of them being paid less than $26 per hour. “This is the reality of many of the workers employed by the City of Toronto,” she said. 

According to the union, the vacancy rate in positions at the City has increased by 65 per cent since 2019, with the increase most notable in long-term care, where vacancies have ballooned 700 per cent since the pandemic. 

“Burnt out and underpaid, workers are leaving in droves to other emergency services,” the union said. 

When asked about the strike mandate on Tuesday, Mayor Olivia Chow said that negotiations are ongoing. No strike deadline has been set yet.