Plan to Outsource Caretakers at Windsor's City Hall Cancelled

AM800-NEWS-WINDSOR-CITY-HALL — (AM800 file photo)

The City of Windsor has reversed course on its plan to outsource custodial jobs.

Council voted in a plan that would see GDI Integrated Facility Services staff the City Hall Complex at a lower rate of pay back in November of last year.

The city announced GDI could no longer guarantee its tender that was expected to save taxpayers more than $300,000 a year on Thursday.

Union President David Petten says seven full-time and seven part-time positions will now remain with CUPE 543 members.

"We had raised the concerns about the fact that we're in the middle of a pandemic and caretakers provide an exceptionally important service," he says. "We're grateful that council has taken another look at it and reconsidered."

He says the outcome is in the best interest of the community.

"These are good paying entry level jobs that belong to the community and it enables people to raise a family," he added.

Petten says the city will be re-establishing seven full-time caretaker positions that were set to be filled through attrition.

"They were holding on to vacancies to be able to move our members from the 350 and 400 buildings into the vacant positions," he says. "Now it's my understanding that the city will move forward and actually fill those vacant positions."

A timeline for the new hires has not been set.