An inside workers’ strike or lockout in coming days could wreak havoc on parental planning for kids’ City of Toronto recreation programs, March break plans and summer camps.

City spokesperson Wynna Brown confirmed a CUPE Local 79 work stoppage would postpone registration for spring-summer recreation programs. The telephone, online and in-person sign-ups are slated for Saturday for Etobicoke, Sunday for Scarborough, Tuesday for North York and next Wednesday for downtown-East York.

Spring registration is especially busy because it includes kids’ summer camps, which are relatively inexpensive and fill up quickly. Last March, in the regular ritual that sees parents frantically compete for a limited number of recreation and camp spots, there were 194,149 registrations.

On top of that, a work stoppage through the March 14 to18 spring break would send parents of almost 5,000 children scrambling for alternative care arrangements.

The ongoing work-to-rule campaign by more than 20,000 city workers, amid a contract negotiations standoff between Local 79 and city representatives, should not impact the registrations, Brown said.

The uncertainty is aggravating for parent Mark Richardson, who is hoping to sign up his 11-year-old son for city sports and music programs.

Richardson said the city should announce by noon Thursday that it will proceed with registrations no matter what, or postpone the process for one week in hopes the labour unrest is over.

“Adding uncertainty and confusion to an already painful (registration) process is just bad customer service,” Richardson said. “The city shouldn't be waiting until midnight Friday to decide if (registration) programming is going to happen Saturday.”

The workers’ contract expired Dec. 31. Outside workers in Local 416 have approved a contract that hikes pay 5 per cent over four years, cuts some benefits and phases out an ironclad job-security provision.

Local 79 president Tim Maguire has said that contract does not work for his members, half of whom are part-time or full-time temporary. Talks broke down on the weekend after the city promised some improvements but warned it was a “final” offer.

The union has sent a response to a provincial mediator, which the city is reviewing.

A frustrated sounding Mayor John Tory said Wednesday: “I am very concerned about what's happened with regard to CUPE Local 79 . . . I can tell you I am not hopeful that the union is making progress.”

Tory argued, for the first time, that the inside workers’ deal must be “fundamentally consistent” with the one approved by the outside workers.

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“That's obviously what we've said from the beginning is going to be a hugely important part of these negotiations with the other union that serves the vast majority of the citizens of Toronto . . . so stay tuned,” Tory said.

CUPE said only that it is awaiting word from the city on the union response to the offer tabled Saturday.

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