WINDSOR, Ont. - As one civic strike in Ontario appears to be winding down, another has entered its 32nd day without a solution in sight.
A tentative agreement was reached early Thursday for about 1,800 municipal workers in Windsor, Ont., following about 46 hours of talks over two days.
About 400 outside workers walked off the job April 15 and were followed several days later by about 1,400 inside staff.
The key issue in the dispute was post-retirement benefits, but CUPE says no details of the tentative agreement will be released until after a ratification vote is held on Friday.
CUPE Local 543 president Jean Fox said the union will not be recommending how the workers should vote.
"We believe that we've gone as far as we can go, we've done the best job we can do and it will be up to them," said Fox.
City manager Helga Reidel says the strike has been "very stressful" for both sides and calls the tentative agreement a relief.
In Toronto, a strike began June 22 by about 24,000 inside and outside workers and has halted garbage pickup and a host of city services.
The most visible sign of the strike in the country's largest city has been mounds of trash piling up in places like arena parking lots and city parks.
Early Thursday, the city said it would refund fees paid for city-run day camps, swimming and leadership programs which were scheduled to have taken place between June 22 and July 17.
So far, the provincial government has resisted calls to end the walkout through back-to-work legislation. Premier Dalton McGuinty said last week there were signs of progress in ongoing talks and expressed optimism that a resolution may be nearing.
