Toronto city labour committee reserves lockout decision

Councilor’s effort to curb future lockouts struck down by executive committee

An effort put forward by a Toronto councilor to take away the ability of the city’s labour relations committee to lock out city workers has been “deferred indefinitely”.

Councilor John Filion proposed the idea because he is concerned that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is planning to lock out city workers when their collective agreement expires in 2012. The president of Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 416, Mark Ferguson, says that “a very highly placed individual” confirmed that plan to him.

Filion was hoping to have a lockout approved by Toronto’s full council, as opposed to leaving that power solely with the labour relations committee – as is currently the case.

His proposal was struck down by the city’s executive committee on Nov. 1.

As a result of the decision, Toronto’s deputy mayor Doug Holyday’s employee and labour relations committee preserves the power to initiate a lockout.

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