CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire fielded lots of questions from workers when he appeared at the three voting locations to give details, union spokeperson Cim Nunn told reporters after balloting concluded at 8 p.m.

Workers voted on the city’s final offer even though it wasn’t endorsed by the union’s leadership.

“As you can imagine, there was a lot of concern, a lot of angst, a lot of worry on the part of members,” Nunn said.

“I think that for the most part, they’re going to realize that this is not a good deal,” he added. “You can’t characterize this as a good deal, but for a lot of members, they’re going to see it as the best deal they’re going to get.”

City officials have said they don’t intend to improve its offer, affecting workers in four bargaining units.

Wednesday’s vote by the city’s 23,000 inside workers could result in some remaining on the job while others are locked out or go on strike.

Maguire acknowledged the possibility of a strike Wednesday afternoon as members of the local’s four separating bargaining units voted on the city’s “final offer” for four-year contracts.

“It’s possible that one or two of the units could reject the offer” while the others accept, Maguire said.

Across the street, inside the Sheraton Centre, one of three voting locations across the city, CUPE 79 members from various units said they would vote in favour of the offer.

Many said they voted yes to ratify the deal, in large part because they say they can't afford to strike, but also because they want Torontonians to be sympathetic to their cause.

“I don’t think we ever recoup what we lose,” said Yota Lambrakos, a part-time parks, forestry and recreation worker, about going on strike.

For some, talk of a strike brings back unpleasant memories of the stinky summer of 2009, when garbage workers were picketing — and Mayor David Miller’s popularity plummeted.

“I’m strapped, I can’t afford it,” said part-time ferry dock worker Alan Nelson.

“Nowadays with all the austerity everywhere you’ve got to tighten the belt and move on.”

Iona MacKay, a parks, forestry and recreation worker, said she depends on her part-time income to pay the bills. “I don’t want to go on strike,” she said. “I’m okay with what was offered by the city.”

Some workers said they’re not happy with the union leadership for calling a membership vote on the city’s final offer when the bargaining committee wasn’t recommending it.

And management has done little to sell the merits of its offer to the 23,000 workers involved in the talks, said a welfare caseworker who requested anonymity.

The workers, members of Local 79 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, voted at three locations around the city, with results expected late Wednesday or early Thursday.

“I don’t think it’s proper to vote on a final offer that wasn’t supported by the bargaining committee,” the caseworker said. “Most people I’ve talked to have indicated they’re not happy with voting, they’re not clear why they’re voting, and they’re not clear about what the possible outcomes are.”

“And people are frustrated with the city for not being clear either on why they felt this was a good deal for employees,” the caseworker said. “Certainly they felt it was a good deal for them and for taxpayers.”

Marathon contract talks between city and CUPE negotiators broke off Sunday night after the two sides failed to find common ground on issues including workers’ job protection in the case of contracting-out.

The union said that, under the threat of having the city unilaterally impose a new contract on the 23,000 mostly white-collar workers, it agreed to let members vote on the offer without a recommendation from the union.

Earlier this week, the city’s executive director of human resources said that if Local 79 members reject the offer, the city “could lock them out, or we ... could impose these (offered) terms and conditions; we could implement other terms and conditions.”

Maguire repeated Wednesday that, should the city move to impose employment terms and conditions on his members, he will have little choice but to use the strike mandate that 85 per cent of his members gave him in a vote.

“We have a very real possibility of a strike here,” Maguire said outside City Hall. “The city should really consider whether it wants to go down the road, if one of those contracts is rejected by the members, about imposing terms and conditions. They have the option of returning to the bargaining table, and that’s where we want to be.”

Results of the vote are expected very late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Among the information being given to the voting workers is a

Local 79 information sheet

that lists 61 contested contract items. Of those items, it notes, there was no resolution on 36 of them. Agreement was found on 24. One item lists a union proposal but no agreement or disagreement.

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The chart also compares, sometimes unflatteringly, final-offer provisions with those received by outside workers in the Local 416 contract signed last month, which is considered to include significant concessions.

Information provided to the members also raises the possibility one or more units might approve the offer, and get a new contract, while others will not. That could send the dissenting unit back to the bargaining table or even locked out or go out on strike.

Items of contention include:

Job security: The city wants to protect only permanent workers with 15 years or more seniority from contracting out, as it did with outside workers. “Local 79 proposed 10 years which provides to the ... membership the same amount of protection that was given to Local 416 members” — 70 per cent of the local.

Sick time: A reduction from no restriction to “on the fourth and subsequent occurrence of illness in a calendar year, members will be paid from day two” and not for day one. Local 79 wanted the cut put on hold pending efforts to curb absenteeism, as 416 got.

Mileage: The city is offering 52 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres, and 46 cents thereafter, which the outside workers agreed to. Local 79 did not.

Points of agreement include:

Salary: 0 per cent hike in 2012; .5 per cent in 2013 plus 1.5% lump sum; 1.75 per cent hike in 2014; and 2.25 per cent hike in 2015.

Drug plan: Workers would pay a $9-per-prescription dispensing fee. “Local 79 agreed as part of a package.”

Leaves of absence: City offered to give Local 79 members access to the “child and elder care leave policy.”

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said Tuesday the city couldn’t control how the union would present the final offer, but that he believed workers would accept it rather than join 2,300 library workers on the picket line.

“No matter what the union says, this is one of the best contracts in Canada.”

In the event of a labour disruption:

• Municipal museums, art galleries and cultural facilities will be closed.

• All 52 municipal child care centres operated by children’s services will be closed.

• All city-run programs will be cancelled at community centres, indoor swimming pools, arenas, curling clubs and fitness centres. This includes programs offered at satellite locations and public, separate and community schools such as camps, classes and drop-in clubs.

• Investigation of non-emergency private property violations, such as graffiti, will be suspended.

• Public health services such as restaurant inspections, immunization clinics, city-operated sexual health clinics and family health services (healthy pregnancy and baby appointments, home visits and nutrition counselling) will be cancelled.