Toronto Council and CUPE reach formal agreement

Any fears about the resurgence of the Christie Pits landfill can finally be put to rest.

Toronto City Council and CUPE 416, the local representing 6,000 outdoor workers, approved a tentative agreement this morning that gives workers a six per cent wage increase over four years. Council was unanimously in favour of the deal, which Mayor Rob Ford predicts will save the City up to $100 million.

While plenty of councillors proceeded to sing the mayor's praises ("I would suggest that this is a historic situation,"swooned Councillor John Parker), I suspect there will be some CUPE members who aren't pleased with the deal. For one, the agreement removes CUPE's so-called "jobs for life" clause, reserving security provisions for those with 15 years seniority or more, and then there are the paramedics, all of whom are members of local 416, many who oppose the new essential service designation outlined in the deal.

Nevertheless, Ford was unperturbed, declaring after the vote that, "This is the greatest day in this council's history." Hmmm. No comment on that one.

So, who do you think won? CUPE or Council?

Photo by Cameron MacMaster in the blogTO Flickr pool