Mayor Tory in Tinseltown to hype city's film industry as labour dispute simmers

Mayor John Tory is in Los Angeles this morning to promote Toronto's $1-billion film, television and digital media industry, asan unresolved and ongoing labour dispute simmers back home.

Over the next three days, Tory will meet with officials from 11 prominent studios including CBS, Paramount, Sony and Warner to encourage them to expand their presence here. According to the mayor's office, these studios currently have over $800 million in development planned for Toronto this year.

• CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire offers work to rule campaign details

• City, inside workers' union 'far apart' on key issues, union leader says as midnight deadline looms

• City of Toronto, outside workers reach tentative deal

Meanwhile, CUPE Local 79, which represents 20,000 inside workers, is on awork-to-rule campaign.Itspresident TimMaguiresays the action isaimed at making the public aware that union workers often perform duties outside their regular job descriptions

Before leaving town, Tory made it clear any deal with Local 79 would be on the city`s terms.

"I don't think anybody should underestimate my patience as being in any way lacking in resolve in doing what I have to do for the taxpayers of Toronto," he said.

Maguirehassaid the two sides are "still far apart on key concessions," adding that "we made a offer to the city and we are waiting for them to respond to it."

The city and the union say they will continue to talk but Maguire hinted the work-to-rule campaign might soon begin to have an impact onTorontonians.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 places.

"We will continue to build it and will look at what we have to do," Maguiresaid.

Councillor Joe Mihevc believes residents will start to feel the effect of the job action.

"I think work-to-rule is easy in the first days," he said. "It gets progressively harder as things don't get done,so as this thing wears on, I think Torontonians will feel it more so."

On Thursdaymorning,CUPELocal 416, the union representing outdoor workers,will voteon whether to accept a contract offer from the city. Theunion representing about 5,400unionizedoutside workersincluding garbage collectors reached a tentative agreement with the city Feb. 19.