The mayor of Windsor, Ont. says he will accept a new mediator to help resolve a nearly 10-week-old strike if the union agrees the labour talk will pick up where it left off.
Negotiations in the southern Ontario city's civic strike were called off Thursday after the union walked away from the bargaining table over information leaked to the media.
Mayor Eddie Francis says the two sides were inches away from a deal last week before the union abandoned talks and served the city with an unfair labour practice complaint.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says a new mediator is needed to resume negotiations.
In a statement today, Linda Thurston-Neeley, an assistant regional director with the union, says the bargaining atmosphere has been "poisoned" since day one and the union has lost all trust in the process.
About 400 workers responsible for road work, gardening, garbage and recycling pickup walked off the job April 15, while another 1,400 workers in daycare, social services, bylaw enforcement and clerical work went on strike several days later.
One of the sticking points in the negotiations is the city's bid to remove post-retirement benefits for new hires.
