Union alleges ‘multiple violations’ before pulling city rec staffing deal tied to 57 jobs

57 part-time recreation workers are set to be laid off in Windsor after an agreement was terminated by the union.

Nearly five dozen temporary part-time recreation jobs at City of Windsor facilities are set to end this spring after CUPE Local 82 revoked a labour agreement that allowed the roles to exist — but the union says the move follows months of unresolved concerns over how the agreement was being implemented.

In a media release, the city said its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the union — signed in August 2025 — was revoked by CUPE Local 82 this past Friday.

The city said the agreement had allowed for up to 60 part-time positions supporting maintenance at community centres and arenas.

As a result, 57 temporary part-time Recreational Facilities Attendant roles filled over the past seven months will conclude, with affected employees receiving notice that their last day of employment will be April 21, 2026, under a 60-day notice requirement.

The change does not impact any regular full-time employees.

In a phone interview with CTV News, CUPE Local 82 President Rob Kolody confirmed the union revoked the MOA but pushed back on the city’s characterization of the situation — alleging the agreement was not being followed.

Kolody said the union raised concerns for months and met with the employer about issues it says remain unresolved.

He declined to get into specific allegations, citing arbitration.

Kolody also expressed concern with the city’s media release referencing “multiple meetings” between the parties, arguing it supported the union’s claim that problems existed.

“If everything was going great, we would never have had to meet with them,” Kolody said.

“We brought forward multiple violations.”

Kolody said the MOA exists outside the union’s main collective agreement and sets the terms and working conditions for temporary part-time staff working in rinks and community centres.

Once the MOA is revoked, the roles tied to it cannot continue.

The MOA followed nearly two years of negotiations and replaced a previous agreement that the union also revoked on June 5, 2025 — a move the city said resulted in 37 position reductions in July 2025.

Kolody said the disputes are expected to proceed to arbitration.

“It’ll just cost taxpayers far more money to deal with the issue — probably tens of thousands of dollars,” he said.