Whitby Chief Administrative Officer Matt Gaskell has issued the following statement:

As the strike by CUPE Local 53 continues, I am hearing that CUPE has ramped up its tactics, including instances of intimidation towards our workers, our contractors, and the public. These tactics are unwelcome, disappointing, and unsafe. The safety of our staff, residents, and everyone working to deliver services to our community is our top priority. While it’s our full-time employees’ right to strike, bullying, harassment and intimidation are not acceptable, and I trust that the union leadership of CUPE Local 53 would agree and will take the necessary action to ensure this does not occur.

Our goal as we head into two days of mediation with CUPE this Friday and Saturday is to reach an agreement that works for everyone. Our latest offer made changes to ensure zero impact to every current employee in their current position. Respecting CUPE’s concerns regarding work life balance, we increased the number of annual personal days that an employee can take from three to four. Personal days can be used by staff to attend medical appointments, specialist appointments, family commitments etc. These personal days are part of the overall 18 paid sick days that all staff are provided every year which allows staff greater flexibility in the use of those sick days. This is over and above the considerable flexibility that is also provided through generous vacation entitlements, the ability to swap shifts, and other paid leaves, etc. Our current offer to CUPE Local 53 also includes a substantial financial proposal with a 9.5 per cent wage increase over three years, an increase to shift premiums, and significant benefit improvements which was designed to compensate CUPE for the changes sought. For more details on the Town’s current offer, visit whitby.ca/2023LabourDisruption.

CUPE Local 53 responded to the Town’s proposal with a counteroffer that maintains a veto power over hours of work and scheduling, providing the Town with very little additional flexibility to meet the community’s needs and also asks for an additional $1.5 million in wage and benefits increases over and above what the Town offered. That is not a fair deal for taxpayers and would cost the Town – and our residents – considerably more for virtually no benefit.

We must have greater flexibility in how we schedule our staff to deliver programs and services when and where our community need them. The Town of Whitby exists to deliver services to its residents in an affordable manner. All collective agreements must be reached in a respectful and civil fashion with that goal in mind. This is what our residents expect of both parties and is what we are working to achieve through meaningful conversations and the mediation this week.

More Information

Stay informed by visiting whitby.ca/2023labourdisruption.