CUPE 79 puts end to 'work for free' with work-to-rule campaign

A work-to-rule campaign by Toronto's inside workers kept 20,000 city employees from walking off the job Monday but performing only the work they are paid to do.

CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire saidhis membersregularly perform duties outside of their job descriptions and more than half regularly skip their breaks. That stopped Monday morning.

"If the photocopier breaks, they're planners, they're not photocopier technicians. Don't fix the photocopier," Maguire said.

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"The city needs torespect that our workers perform an important service toTorontoniansand they go above and beyondthe call to ensure those services are delivered,"Maguiresaid. "They save the city money because they do a lot of work for free."

Members of Local 79 work in community housing, community centres, arenas, child-care centres, public health offices,long-term care facilities andmunicipal offices, among other things.

Local 79memberRanieshaHemmings, who works at theNorth Kipling Community Centre, saidmost staff perform tasksoutside their job descriptions.

"If it's really raining outside,we'll help people to their cars with umbrellas. If it's snowing outside, we'll help shovel more than we're supposed to," she said. "We try to help out as much as we can."

'No sign of movement'

Theunion hopes the campaign will underscore the importance of city workers, but it is not planning any major service disruptions. Employees who provide essential services, such as long-term care,are not engaging in thework-to-rule campaign,Maguiresaid.

"We're concerned about the slowpace of these talks,"Maguiretold reporters whennegotiations with the city stalled after two extended deadlines."There's been no sign of movement in key areas."

Mayor John Tory says the work-to-rule campaign will do nothing to bring the two sides closer together.

"Such an escalation will not assist the efforts being made by the city and the provincial conciliators to conclude a collective agreement," he said in a written statement.

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Sticking points in the negotiationsinclude job security, stability and wages that aren't on par with other city workers,Macguiresaid.

"Myexperienceis that most people who are out there working, whether they're in the city government, the provincial government or the private sector,when the photocopier is broken, you justun-jamit and move on," Tory said Monday.

Tory has maintained that whatever deal is reached withCUPELocal 79 will have to be similar to the deal the city struck with its5,400 outside workerson Friday.

Local 416, which represents those workers,will vote on the deal later this week.