There was another large rally outside London City Hall by the city's striking inside workers on Friday.
Paul Moist, the national president of CUPE, used the opportunity to take direct aim at London's city manager after a letter was sent to the homes of 750 CUPE members.
CTV News has obtained a copy of the three page letter, and while the content is pretty straight forward, the city's strategy behind sending it remains vague.
The CUPE Local 101 members rallied fueled by new ammunition in the form of a letter sent from the city manager to the homes of striking workers.
“One of the least productive things an employee can do is think they can bargain individually with 750 members,” says Moist. “You heard the members today want their president and team to negotiate the agreement.”
The letter, signed by city manager Art Zuidema, provides new insight into the most recent contract offer made by the city last Saturday afternoon.
According to the letter, the four year contract offer includes wage increases of 1.1 percent.
Benefits would be expanded to include coverage for laser eye surgery, and 15 paid days of bereavement leave if an employee's child dies, up from 5.
But employees hired in the future would not receive early retiree benefits.
Schedulable hours of work would expand from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Monday to Friday to anytime 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Job evaluation disputes would be resolved by management's decision rather than by an independent arbitrator.
Local 101 president Shelley Navarroli believes the letter had a strategic motive.
“It’s a tactic by them to rile up our members, thinking we haven't communicated accurately to our members exactly what is happening,” says Navarroli.
