After a spate of operational struggles, CUPE Local 416 has been placed under the direct of administration of the union’s national office.

The union that represents the City’s approximately 6,000 outside workers from garbage crews to paramedics will continue to operate normally, union officials say, but the political executive that governs the group has been suspended.

Gus Oliveria, a national servicing representative for CUPE, and former president of a large municipal Local (Local 5167 in Hamilton, which he ran for three years), has been named the administrator for Local 416.

“The president’s office and the national board will receive reports from me and then they review it periodically to confirm whether to continue or not,” Oliveria said.

He stressed that he will not be making decisions on the future of the local’s operations. “All I do is I make recommendations,” he said. “My role is to be impartial, neutral.”

Oliveria said he could not comment on what operational issues had precipitated the move to administration, since he was brought on after the fact.

A press release from CUPE put out Monday morning said, “the Administrator will help resolve on-going issues with the operation of the local, and ensure they are addressed while maintaining full service and representation to the members of CUPE 416.”

Oliveria confirmed that no changes will be made to services offered to workers. Greg Taylor, a spokesperson for CUPE’s national office, said the union had no further comment on its national office’s decision to step in, or what led to that choice.

In November 2012, Local 416 held a tense election to decide the future of the group, with President Mark Ferguson challenged by three people — including Ron Johnson, at the time the local’s chief of stewards. The two other challengers were Richard Prestula and Jon Richard.

Ferguson, who had had struggles securing meetings and finding common ground with then-mayor Rob Ford’s administration, was accused by Johnson of “abandoning the union.”

In April 2012, Ferguson announced that he would be stepping down as president after four years in charge, due in part to his difficulty in connecting with the Ford administration.

But, in September of that year, Ferguson recanted, saying he’d had a change of heart after a long period of “self-exploration.”

Johnson’s accusation stemmed from a claim that he had not seen the local’s president at the union hall for months, a claim that Feguson adamantly denied.

Although Ferguson came out narrowly on top of the 2012 election, CUPE 416 vice-resident Dave Hewitt has been acting president for some time. Currently, the local’s website does not list a president.

The Star was unable to reach either Ferguson or Hewitt for comment Monday evening.

For now it is unclear whether any of the local’s current executive will be continuing in their roles under Oliveria’s administration, which is effective immediately.

“The political administration is suspended in the interim, but not necessarily their roles,” Oliveria said. He said they may continue to function in their current roles, “depending on the needs of the administration, which is an assessment I would have to make.”

For now, no assessments or recommendations the national office have been made, Oliveria said. He said the first day has been spent ensuring all parties have been notified of the move, but that he will eventually begin meeting with officers of the local and the membership itself.

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It is not clear how long the administration process will take.

“It really varies,” Oliveria said. “It really depends on my findings to a large degree.”