Inside municipal workers in the City of Toronto have chosen CUPE 79 to represent them, in a vote held last month. The representation vote was brought about by the forced amalgamation of Metro and its six former cities into the new City of Toronto.
Local 79 will now represent 20,000 inside workers in Toronto, including clerical, technical, professional, support and recreation workers. Of this total, more than 6,000 are newly unionized workers - 6,000 part-time recreation workers and 300 full-time office workers. Members from the Ontario Nursing Association are also CUPE members now.
Ann Dubas, president of Local 79, welcomed the new members to CUPE. “This is a great gain for the labour movement,” she said. “Thousands of people have now become union members and will have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of good collective agreements.”
CUPE 416 will represent outside workers and Toronto Library Board employees. Between the two locals, all City of Toronto employees - other than management and exempt staff - are now CUPE members.