Is The CUPE Strike Over

I had heard about a possible deal around 9 PM last night but could not get confirmation. I was NOT going to BLOG any such speculation without official word!

I was glad to see this morning the CUPE press release that follows!

It will be interesting to discover what was achieved especially about PRBs, the supposed reason for the long strike.

I expect that the approval of the contract will be difficult when Jean Fox says:

• "We've done the best job that we can do," said Local 543 president Jean Fox, who represents inside workers."

You know it is a huge compromise when there is no comment about worker victory yet! At least she is honest about it!

Amazing what can be achieved though when the Gold Meddle Winner is not involved and let's his negotiating team do its job. Councillor Postma was right about how their hands were tied!

Has the Union dropped the unfair negotiating claim as part of the deal? I would expect so in exchange for a complete amnesty for CUPE members. It better include Police charges as well since Eddie is head also of the Windsor Police Services Board. A good trade-off.....workers will have to decide that.

PRBs for new hires...probably dropped too in consideration of a nice sign-up bonus for workers. Will workers now support a 2-tier system after their personal financial suffering? Or will they continue on and now try to crush the Mayor since he was told obviously by the Mediator and his team to butt out! There are ways to go after him later if personal revenge is the motive.

More to BLOG about later!

CUPE: Tentative Deal Reached in 100 Days Windsor Strike

WINDSOR, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 23, 2009) - At 6:30am Thursday morning, after a marathon bargaining session lasting close to 48 hours, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the City of Windsor reached a tentative settlement in the city's15 week strike.

CUPE Locals 82 and 543 will present the terms of settlement to union members and ask them to vote on the package at general membership meetings planned for Friday July 24th. Results are expected to be made public the same day.

No details of the proposal will be released by either party until they are made known to union members and the ratification votes take place.

CUPE local 82, representing outside workers, have been on strike for 100 days, starting Wednesday, April 15th, making it the second longest strike in the city's history. Their colleagues of CUPE local 543, the inside workers, joined the picket line on Saturday, April 18th.