MISSISSAUGA, ON – Tonight, as Carolyn Parrish is sworn in as the new Mayor of Mississauga, CUPE members who work for the city will be in attendance asking for a commitment to a fair deal for city workers who have been bargaining for over a year.
CUPE Local 1989, representing City of Mississauga Library workers, and CUPE Local 66, Representing City of Mississauga Animal Services, and Parking Enforcement, have been in negotiations with the city since the spring of 2023.
“Our members are frustrated by the city’s continued attempts to put forward unfair proposals that fail to address the skyrocketing cost of living in Mississauga and the GTA,” said CUPE Local 66 President Dominic Taddeo. “We hope that the new Mayor will make getting a fair deal for these members a top priority as soon as she is sworn in to office.”
Mississauga has experienced continued rapid growth, including unprecedented building and a wide expansion of services.
“Due to the cost of living, many of our members can’t afford to even live in the same city they work in,” said CUPE Local 1989 President Laura Fenech. “Workers are leaving due to continued understaffing, precarious working conditions, and offers of work in cities offering higher wages that are less expensive to live in.”
While union members are struggling to negotiate contracts, the city is offering better deals to its non-unionized workers. Non-union workers have been offered better sick leave, higher pay, and flexible work arrangements.
“As the sixth-largest city in Canada, Mississauga has the chance to be a leader in ensuring that frontline workers are properly recognized, and that includes unionized workers,” Taddeo said. “As Mississauga continues to grow and expand, it will be these workers who will be providing the services that residents depend on. We are calling on the new Mayor of Mississauga to work with council and city management to negotiate a fair deal for our members.”
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For more information, contact:
Eric Bell, CUPE Communications Representative
[email protected]
