Inside workers union says it won’t strike—but if it does, it’s the city’s fault

Showing some PR smarts, CUPE Local 79 is proclaiming that its 23,000 members won’t strike this weekend—unless the city makes them. Even though Toronto’s inside workers voted “overwhelmingly” to approve a strike, union president Tim Maguire promised workers will only walk off the job if the city imposes new contract terms (a neat trick that pushes any blame for work stoppage onto the city). Deputy mayor Doug Holyday fired back, arguing the city wants a deal, but the union is slowing the process down. He told the Globe and Mail, “They have met with us exactly 50 minutes since last Thursday,”—a soundbite that shows what we already knew: Holyday’s got some sharp media skills of his own. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »