Friday, March 14 — An important joint update on the process of forming our union
From connecting over shared ideas and concerns, to signing a union card, to casting our votes, it has been incredible to see the hard work and overwhelming support of our friends and colleagues over these past few days and weeks.
We know you are eagerly anticipating the outcome of the vote to form our union, so we, your City Council Staff Union Organizing Committee, joined by AMAPCEO staff, wanted to provide you with a brief joint update.
The votes have all been cast and we are confident of a positive outcome! However, a challenge has been made to our application to form a union by the employer, the City of Toronto.
When your Organizing Committee and AMAPCEO staff filed the application to form our union, we identified the City of Toronto as the employer. AMAPCEO staff note that the City of Toronto is who administers basic functions of our employment, such as payroll. And, in fact, the City of Toronto themselves have consistently identified us as their employees in their own public documents.
However, the City of Toronto is now disputing their status as our employer, instead claiming that City Council staff are the employees of individual Councillors, the Mayor’s office, or other departments in which we work.
Over the past week, AMAPCEO staff and counsel tried to work with the employer to proactively address their challenge and avoid unnecessary delay. Unfortunately, the employer has chosen to move forward with their challenge.
As a result, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) has “sealed” the ballot and the votes cannot be counted until this issue is resolved. This means that the votes remain with the OLRB. Our employer does not have access to the votes and there is no way for them to know how any of us voted.
This delay is deeply frustrating, but we are all are confident that the ultimate outcome of our union vote will be positive! There is a process in place for addressing these challenges, and AMAPCEO staff and counsel are working hard to ensure this issue is resolved quickly, so we can see the results of our vote to form our union.
We want to encourage you all to stay strong and united, and to look forward to the exciting future that lies ahead for us as City Council staff.
We also want you to remember that our existing terms and conditions of employment were “frozen” on the date we filed for certification (Thursday, March 6) and remain frozen until our first collective agreement is negotiated.
This means that the employer cannot change the terms of our employment—like salary, benefits, or any other employment practices in place—without getting the union’s consent. If the employer wants to increase your compensation or address job classification, for example, before a first collective agreement is concluded, City of Toronto leadership and our union, AMAPCEO, can come to an agreement. This right is protected under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, Section 86.
AMAPCEO remains committed to supporting us in forming our Toronto City Council staff union. If you have any questions or need support on workplace issues while we wait for the votes to be counted, please contact Jennifer Pacheco at pacheco@amapceo.on.ca.
In the meantime, you can expect updates related to the certification process here and to your inbox.
Finally, we want to express how proud we are of our collective effort, dedication, and solidarity —it has been incredibly heartening to see how Toronto City Council staff have been “all in” on advocating for a voice in our workplace.
We look forward to announcing positive news soon!
Wednesday, March 12 — Detailed instructions on how to vote for our union
It’s almost time! We hope that you saw our update yesterday containing your stories about why you're voting to form a union and information about the upcoming union vote that is taking place online starting tomorrow, Thursday, March 13 at 2 pm to Friday, March 14 at 1:59 pm.
We have come so far on this journey as colleagues and friends–we have learned about each other, we have shared our experiences and ideas, and together we have made plans for a better future at Toronto City Council.
But the last and most important step is still to come–voting YES to form our union.
Read on to learn how to cast your vote!
Voting process
When:
The vote will take place from Thursday, March 13 at 2 pm to Friday, March 14 at 1:59 pm.
Who:
All Toronto City Council staff members except those responsible for hiring, discipline, or dismissals or staff that are “true managers” or are employed in a confidential capacity in matters relating to labour relations.
If you are unsure about whether you fall within an excluded category, you can still vote, even if you are not on the voter’s list, by contacting the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to request a ballot. The most important thing, regardless of your position, is to cast your ballot and vote YES to form a union.
Where:
The vote will be held online. You will receive your ballot at your work email address. You can also forward the email to your personal email address and vote from there.
Alternatively, you may choose to cast your ballot over the phone.
The vote will be conducted by Simply Voting, an experienced electronic voting provider with significant security measures in place to ensure the confidentiality of the ballot. Your employer is required by the OLRB to provide contact information (i.e., email addresses) for all employees.
How:
You will receive an email from Simply Voting, the secure voting provider, containing detailed instructions on how to vote, including a phone number, a URL, and a confidential personal identification number (PIN). Your PIN is required to vote and can only be used once; do not share it with anyone.
Please ensure you check your junk/spam folder for the email from the secure voting provider.
In the online vote, you enter your PIN and select a checkbox on the ballot displayed on your computer/mobile device screen. Vote YES to join the union.
By phone, you will receive automated prompts to submit your PIN and cast a ballot, pressing 1 or 2 to vote in response to the ballot question. Vote YES to join the union.
The ballot that will be provided to voters contains the following question:
In your employment relations with your Employer, do you wish to be represented by the Union?
To vote for our union, select the YES option.
Need help?
If you do not receive a PIN, or if you require any assistance to vote, contact the Ontario Labour Relations Board Help Desk at 416-953-0926. Leave a detailed message if you do not get an answer right away. You will need to quote the following case number: 2929-24-R.
Please note the ORLB Help Desk hours of operation. We recommend you contact the OLRB early on during the voting period, if you need help.
OLRB Help Desk Hours of Operation:
March 13, 2025 – 3:30 pm - 5:00pm
March 14, 2025 – 11:30 am - 12:30pm
If you are experiencing issues getting through, or if you have any other questions or concerns about the vote process, please contact Jennifer Pacheco at 416-899-8713 or at pacheco@amapceo.on.ca.
Tuesday, March 11 — Why we're voting YES to form a union + vote date announcement
We’re almost there! The union vote has been officially scheduled for this Thursday, March 13 starting at 2 pm. We will be sending voting instructions first thing tomorrow but first, we want to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and why we’re all here.
As we have connected with you over the past few months, we have heard your stories, concerns, and, most importantly, expressions of how much you care about our workplace and our city.
These stories have been incredibly meaningful and eye-opening, and we wanted to take a moment to share some of them to remind ourselves why we are voting YES to form our union. These are personal stories from your colleagues, shared with permission:
“As Council staff, we work tirelessly to support elected officials and serve the residents of Toronto. However, many of us face long hours, inconsistent pay, a lack of standardized policies, and job insecurity—all without the means to advocate for ourselves effectively.
By unionizing, we can focus on supporting our Councillors and serving our communities without the constant worry of unstable job conditions or unfair workplace practices.”
“City Council staffers deserve to earn a decent wage and to be able to live in the city where they work.”
“A union would help ensure that policies around lieu time, pay, and workplace behaviour are clear and fair for everyone. It would also create a system of accountability, so no one has to endure verbal abuse or unfair treatment in silence.”
“Forming a union isn’t just about pay. It’s about creating a workplace where fairness isn’t just a buzzword—it’s real and consistent. A union will give us the collective power to negotiate for fair wages, reasonable workloads, and proper recognition for the work we do.”
After these conversations, it comes as no surprise that we filed for certification with over 60% support and are still building on that number!
As your Toronto City Council Union Committee, we are so excited to be on this journey with you, and to have this opportunity to come together to advocate for fairness, transparency, and security at work.
We are committed to each and every one of you, our colleagues and friends. We have come this far together—now it’s time to see it through.
On Thursday, March 13 at 2 pm, join us and VOTE YES for OUR union.
Three simple steps to take on Thursday, March 13:
- VOTE EARLY!
- VOTE TOGETHER! (vote together with colleagues and make it a date!)
- VOTE YES!
Seen above for information on how to cast your vote!
Tuesday, March 11 — Grab some swag today at City Hall!
We're excited about this week's vote! To show strength and support for our union, we're handing out AMAPCEO swag today, Tuesday, March 11 at City Hall. Keep an eye out for us! Not at City Hall? We'll be in touch!
Thursday, March 6 — We filed an application to form our union with AMAPCEO!
We have exciting news to share! With cards signed by over 60% of Toronto City Council staff members, we have officially filed an application to form our union with AMAPCEO!
This marks the completion of the first step in the process of forming our union.
This also means that a “freeze” on all of our current terms and conditions of employment is in effect until our first collective agreement is negotiated. In other words, Toronto City Council cannot unilaterally change them to retaliate against us for unionizing.
We now have our own website, which explains how forming a union works and includes answers to our most frequently asked questions. All the latest updates on forming our union will be posted here.
In the coming week, you will be contacted by us, your colleagues, and by AMAPCEO staff, to provide you with updates and important information as we move towards our vote! The vote should take place late next week. Once the details are confirmed, we will contact you by email and post the information here.
If you have questions or need support, please contact Jennifer Pacheco at pacheco@amapceo.on.ca to be connected to a colleague who can give you more information.
Contact us
If you have any questions or need information or support, contact Jennifer Pacheco, Team Lead, Membership Services, at pacheco@amapceo.on.ca.