Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown warned Thursday that the ongoing labor disruption that halted several city services may not be resolved anytime soon.
“We could be in for a long work stoppage,” Brown said in an interview with CP24.
About 1,200 City of Brampton workers walked off the job Thursday morning, affecting a range of possible services from recreation to transit.
The workers, represented by CUPE Local 831, have been in negotiations to reach a new contract with the city for months, but so far no deal has been reached.
The mayor told CP24 he was disappointed by the strike and argued the city has been negotiating in good faith with the union for nearly a year.
Brown said the city’s final offer matched the deal offered to CUPE workers in Mississauga this summer, which included a three per cent pay increase over four years.
“Brampton said we’re going to do the same thing. Every word in that deal, identical. Unfortunately, they have unrealistic comparisons. They want to be compared to first responders, firefighters and police officers. These are essential workers who don’t have the right to strike. There’s a danger salary included in their compensation, the mayor argued.
Jason Tamming, who serves as director of strategic CUPE Local 831 president Fabio Gazzola, told CP24 outside Brampton City Hall Thursday morning that the union extended the strike from midnight to 2 a.m. “and we’re just not there.”
Gazzola said the union’s needs and proposals are reasonable.
He shared that the main problem in the negotiations is the wages. He said that while wages have gone up for non-unionized city employees, unionized workers have fallen behind.
“Our goal is to get an agreement for the members, but you know, the employer has to respect us as well,” he said. “The cost of inflation, the consumer price index has skyrocketed over the last five years. When we were locked into a five-year deal, we fell behind. All we’re trying to do is catch up.”
Jason Tamming, who serves as director of strategic communications, tourism and events for the city of Brampton, told CP24.com in an email earlier that the city is “actively prioritizing” the maintenance of essential and emergency services during the strike.
“The city negotiated for nine months in good faith and presented a range of offers that are greater than inflation, that do not jeopardize the ability of residents to pay,” said Tamming, who is also a member of the city’s bargaining team.
He added that the city is still willing to negotiate.
Ontario’s Ministry of Labor issued a no-board report on October 21st, clearing the way for workers to go on strike starting November 7th. A message posted on the union’s website early Thursday said workers are now on strike.
“As a result of the potential work disruption, some city services may be affected,” the city said in a post on its website.
In particular, transit service may be affected, and the city advises transit users to make alternate plans.
“While the city will take all possible measures to maintain transit schedules, transit service may be affected and it is recommended that Brampton Transit riders make alternate travel plans,” the city’s statement read.
Mayor Brown said that while transit workers are not part of the strike, they have not been able to enter bus facilities because of CUPE members.
“We thought CUPE would strike CUPE seats. Unfortunately, today they cause major disturbances for the transit. They didn’t let transit operators into the station, and that’s wrong,” the mayor said.
Brown said he respects workers’ right to strike but they shouldn’t prohibit transit operators from doing their jobs.
“The city will look at what legal resources are available to us to ensure that critical services are restored as soon as possible. There are legal avenues the city can use to ensure that service is not disrupted,” the mayor said.
At the same time, the emergency services are operating normally, while other services are running, but may be limited or have longer waiting times.
The city advised residents arriving at City Hall “should expect significant delays” when arriving at the building and will need to cross the picket line to enter the facility.
