Front-line city workers who plow the roads and inspect the buildings in Belleville are inching closer to a strike.
Wednesday evening, unionized municipal workers held a socially distanced rally outside Belleville City Hall, demanding a new contract with the city.
On the same day of the rally, it was announced the city and the union will meet with a provincially appointed mediator Thursday ahead of a possible legal strike or lockout on Monday.
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Belleville city workers prepare for possible strike, lockout: union
Members of CUPE Local 907 were trying to get the attention of Mayor Mitch Panciuk and Belleville city councillors.
The local represents about 200 inside and outside civic workers.
For a previous story, CUPE told Global News that management had previously agreed to a number of issues in bargaining, but the union says the city recently removed them from the table.
The union did not specify what those items were, nor did it want to comment further due to ongoing negotiations.
For that story, Panciuk said the city was trying to balance promises to its citizens and its workers along with pressures added by the coronavirus pandemic, but that it would be working to avoid a strike.
Panciuk did not provide comment Thursday, saying he would like to wait until after negotiations complete.
— with files from Global News’ Alexandra Mazur