As expected, members of the inside and outside bargaining of CUPE Local 4705 delivered a strong strike mandate during voting on Monday.
Darren Taylor, the president of CUPE Local 4705, said in a release published on the union’s website that members turned out in force to cast a ballot May 16.
“Your bargaining teams were overwhelmed by both the high turnout and your support at today’s Special Strike Mandate meetings,” Taylor was quoted as saying.
The overall vote between the two units was 94 per cent in favor of a strike mandate, the union statement said.
“We will now be returning to the bargaining table with your mandate and the resolve to bargain a fair and equitable agreement on your behalf,” Taylor said.
In an interview with Sudbury.com on Monday, Taylor said he couldn’t go into details regarding the union's demands from management, but added there remain a “number of issues that still have to be addressed.”
He added his members want a deal that is fair and reasonable, and that also respects the city's taxpayers.
While talks with management are ongoing, Taylor said they have become less frequent in recent weeks.
“We're hopeful that with the mandate from the membership the city will see the resolve of the membership that we want to continue to provide these important frontline services for the city,” he said.
