12:15 am, Wednesday, April18, 2001
Although mediator Mort Mitchnick has adjourned mediated negotiations, the CUPE 4400 Negotiating Committee is staying at the bargaining table.
Its clear that the School Board is in utter disarray. Their antics on Tuesday were deplorable.
At the table Board negotiators stated that they had no more room for movement. The union stated that it was still prepared to move and wanted to keep negotiations going.
Its important to note that the mediator has no authority to adjourn negotiations. He has adjourned his role in the negotiations.
CUPE 4400 calls on the Trustees to step in and direct Board management to stop attacking the 1999 settlement and make an offer comparable to the teachers settlements.
Lets just hope that from this crisis comes an opportunity for settlement. The Board has the money to settle this dispute.
We need a negotiated settlement more than ever. Well be needing some serious healing at the TDSB and a settlement imposed by an outsider, either an arbitrator or the province, wouldnt be a settlement at all.
Weve got to live together and work together when this is all over, and a negotiated settlement arrived at by the two parties must be the foundation of building that future.
We call on the Board to stop prolonging this strike by trying to rollback the 1999 settlement. We call on the Board to make CUPE members a respectful offer, an offer comparable to the teachers settlements.
Please remember that, on average, we earn half what the teachers make. An 8% raise puts half the money in the pocket of a CUPE 4400 member, compared to what an 8% raise generates for teachers, said John Weatherup.