What you should know

With less than 48 hours until the labour deadline, a City of Toronto work stoppage seems increasingly likely. Union and city officials spent Friday exchanging harsh words for the other side’s latest proposal. As of Sunday morning, a strike or lockout will be legal. Here are some answers to your most common questions: So is there going to be a strike or lockout this weekend? Nothing is certain as negotiations are still underway, but speaking with city, political and union sources, it does not appear a work stoppage is going to happen Sunday or Monday. What will happen is that, as of Sunday, if a deal can’t be reached, the city will impose “terms of conditions,” which means unionized staff will arrive to work under new, city-designed provisions. The city is not going to lock them out. The union could choose to strike and refuse to work under the new conditions, but it would take several days to hold a strike vote. Even then, the union is highly reluctant to go on strike and lose public support. Bottom line: it would be very unlikely for anything to start until mid-next week at the earliest. Okay, but what if they do? Local 416 employees are outside workers. This is your trash collection, snow removal, drivers of ice-resurfacing machines, gardeners, animal control officers, road maintenance, etc. They are not library staff, city clerks, child-care workers, building inspectors, public health officials or planners, etc. Still, labour disruptions are politically charged and it’s not black and white. There is the potential that inside workers will also go out as a sign of solidarity. It’s highly unlikely this would happen right away and neither the union nor the city want to go down this road.

And potholes? It’s a safe bet road work won’t be a priority during a work stoppage. Aren’t paramedics outdoor workers? Yes. And there will be some service impact, but even though paramedics are represented under Local 416, by law Toronto’s EMS must operate at 85 per cent staffing levels during a labour dispute. Okay. What does a stoppage mean for snow removal? About 75 per cent of the city’s snow clearing is handled through contract workers. So, in a best-case scenario, there will be minor delays, especially for nonarterial routes. However, depending how ugly things get, don’t forget that the lots that house the trucks are run by unionized workers. A source within Local 416 indicated it is unlikely they would prevent trucks from going in and out — but it’s possible. When will we find out exactly what city services will be impacted? City officials are refusing to reveal their contingency plan, although several scenarios have been mapped out in detail, so as not to appear that they’re encouraging a work stoppage. It’s a move councillor Kristyn Wong-tam called “irresponsible.” Wong-tam, like other councillors, has developed her own ward-level plan. Several councillors who do not feel comfortable crossing a picket line will be working from home or in their wards. If trash collection stops, will the city set up makeshift dump sites? This is unclear. Councillor Mike Layton, whose ward encompasses Christie Pits park, which served as a garbage drop-off during the summer of 2009 strike, hasn’t been able to get an answer from staff about a garbage plan.