Yesterday Whitby Council met to receive a status update on bargaining between the Town of Whitby and CUPE 53.

The two sides will be meeting Nov. 10 and 11 with support from an expert mediator.

I am optimistic that this will move us closer to an agreement, and that this can be achieved without political interference from Council.

The Town’s bargaining team recently made additional changes to the Town’s offer in an attempt to get a resolution.

This includes grandfathering all current employees who remain in their current roles so there is no change to their schedule or hours of work.

Previously the Town proposed to grandfather 80 per cent of current employees, but has now upped that to 100 per cent.

The Town also offered an increase in personal days from three to four.

For new employees or those who move into new roles, any schedule changes will be communicated with four weeks' notice as well as consultation with the employee and union.

I have received questions from Whitby residents as to whether I can use the Strong Mayor Powers granted by the Province, to force an end to this labour disruption.

These powers focus on advancing “prescribed provincial priorities” namely the building of 1.5 million new residential units in Ontario by 2031.

Bill 3 does not give me the ability to order the Town’s unionized employees back to work or to implement a collective agreement. I’m not aware of any mayors in Ontario who have used Bill 3 to intervene in the collective bargaining process.

While strong mayor powers can be far-reaching, I do not believe it is the intent of this legislation to see mayors disrupt lawful labour action or otherwise insinuate themselves into the collective bargaining process.

Thank you to Whitby residents for your ongoing patience as we navigate this difficult and complex process.

I encourage residents to stay informed by visiting whitby.ca/2023LabourDisruption and following the Town of Whitby on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jillian Follert
Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.314.9101
Email: follertj@whitby.ca

Erin Mikaluk
Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913
Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca