On November 7, after nine months of negotiations and nine proposals rejected by their employer, City of Brampton workers started their strike. CUPE Local 831 represents 1,200 municipal workers who provide road maintenance, animal services, theatres, transit, and parks and recreation services.
The workers’ previous deal
Workers under CUPE Local 831 agreed upon their last deal five years ago. This contract expired in April earlier this year. Notably, this deal was signed prior to the pandemic, the inflation crisis, and the worsening of the cost of living and housing crises in the Greater Toronto Area. Workers who were subjected to the wage restraint of Bill 124 created real hardships. According to Fabio Gazzola, the conditions for the workers are getting so bad that they can no longer afford to live in Brampton.
Bargaining a new deal
The union sought to improve upon the previous deal by asking for a pay increase and the same health and benefits package that management gets. Gazzola has stated that he understands why management gets paid more, but that the difference in their benefits — including their health plan and vacation time — do not make sense. Gazzola also stated that the union is seeking a fair deal that addresses the need for protection of precarious and seasonal workers as well as preventing privatization of public services.
CUPE Local 831 sat down with their employer nine months ago, before their contract expired, to try to get a better deal. However, all this time and nine different proposals rejected by management later, there is still no deal and they filed a no-board with the Ministry of Labour. With a strike deadline set for November 7, workers still tried to negotiate with their employer while hoping a strike would not be necessary. Union representatives expressed in press releases and statements that they know how vital their services are to the people of Brampton and did not want to disrupt their daily lives. They view the fight for a new deal as something that affects not just the workers, but also the community.
The strike begins
On Thursday morning, 1,200 City of Brampton workers walked off the job. Gazzola has called it a last resort, stating that these are essential workers who keep the city running, and they feel like they are being undermined. He stresses that the responsibility to end the strike lies with the City of Brampton, who is neglecting the needs and demands of its workers.
CUPE has asked residents of Brampton to help the workers by sending a letter to their councillor asking for them to negotiate a fair deal with the union through cupe.ca/Brampton. The union has also asked residents not to cross the picket lines at City Hall and other locations around Brampton.
The City’s response
The City of Brampton’s strategic communications director, Jason Tamming, has stated that it is incapable of affording the deals that the union has proposed. They have invited CUPE back to the negotiating table, but also stress that the previous deals are “fair and recognize the importance of [their] employees.” These claims are contradicted by Gazzola’s statements about the City’s benefits for management — as well as a statement about the city’s disinterest in negotiating seriously until Wednesday.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown echoed the sentiments expressed by Tamming, stating that the deals offered to the union are fair. The mayor blames service disruptions on the strike and states that the city “will not be held hostage.”
The city holds the power to end the strike by accepting the needs of the workers, who have offered nine different proposals during the bargaining process.
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