Negotiations between the city-operated Exhibition Place and locked-out workers have stalled after their most recent round of bargaining, the union said, only days after both sides agreed to resume talks under new conditions.

In a statement released over the weekend, IATSE Local 58 — the union representing stagehands and technical workers on the grounds — said their employer “is not interested in meaningful negotiations,” despite being ordered to do so by Toronto city council.

“The Ex Place board of governors is just paying lip service to city council,” said Justin Antheunis, president of Local 58. “We came back to the table today (Friday) to try and find a way to end the lockout, to get our members back to work with a fair contract, but the city isn’t interested in reaching a deal.”

Councillor Mark Grimes, chair of the Exhibition Place board of governors, told the Star in a statement on Saturday:

“We are disappointed that we were unable to achieve a resolution of this matter yesterday. We wanted nothing more than to resolve this matter. However, we have been consistent through this process that any deal must ensure the competitiveness of Exhibition Place in what is a highly competitive market.”

Grimes said what they’ve been hearing from the union is “an emotional response to a lack of a resolution of this matter.”

“That’s understandable,” he said. “However, we aren’t going to allow emotion to cloud our judgment and accept a deal that is not in the best interest of Exhibition Place. We have advised the union, through the mediator, that we will continue our efforts to find a solution to this dispute. We have invited the union to provide a fulsome response to the comprehensive set of proposals tabled by the board yesterday.”

According to the union, negotiations stalled after a 12-hour meeting on Friday, described in the statement as “tense.” Presiding over this round was a new, mutually agreed-upon mediator, in addition to the existing provincially appointed official.

The new mediator was offered by the board of governors on Wednesday, after council voted in a closed-door meeting Tuesday to urge mediation, instead of binding arbitration, which would have ended the lockout outright.

Workers have been picketing since July. They were locked out amid negotiations for a new collective agreement. At the time, they were asked by the board of governors not to set up picket lines until after the Canadian National Exhibition ends in early September, but the union refused.

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The resumption of talks comes after CNE head Virginia Ludy publicly stated the fair stands to lose approximately $1.5 million in revenue over the labour dispute. The loss is attributed to reduced attendance.

The main roadblock in discussions, the union says, is the board’s refusal to remove language regarding the contracting out of work.

“IATSE Local 58 returned to the negotiations ready to bargain, with proposals to modernize and find efficiencies in the contract, but the city refused to budge on contracting out language,” the statement read.

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Antheunis voiced his frustration and disappointment at “the fact that the mayor stated he wanted a deal that was fair for the city and the workers, but the board of governors does not feel the same.”

A second day of negotiations is scheduled for Sunday, but Antheunis said it may be in jeopardy.

With files from David Rider