2024 Work Selection has concluded.
Work Selection occurs once per year, typically towards the end of February.  Temporary and eligible permanent Local 416 employees are invited, in seniority order, to attend the Work Selection event.  At the event, employees may select their temporary work opportunities/assignments for the upcoming year.

Work Selection invitations are mailed and/or emailed two weeks before the start of the event.  Appointment dates/times are scheduled in seniority order.  Employees must attend their appointment date/time as it is listed in the invitation and bring appropriate identification, applicable license(s), and City Permit(s).

Prior to the Work Selection event, a list of available Temporary work opportunities / assignments will be posted on the website.  Posted jobs may be subject to change (e.g. change of location, Supervisor, or shift information).  Employees should review the jobs list before attending their scheduled Work Selection appointment.  When reviewing available jobs, employees must ensure they are able to meet the work requirements as outlined in the job details (i.e. work location, shift, start/end dates).  As a reminder, to select a job, employees must have the ability/qualifications to perform the work as identified on their Personal Work Selection List (PWSL).

During the Work Selection event, employees will meet with a Selector who will review classifications and qualifications as per your PWSL and check the availability of the job(s).  Keep in mind, some of the jobs you identified for yourself may have been filled by a more senior employee.  As positions are filled, jobs posted on the website will be removed daily.  If a position is not available, you will not be able to select it.  If you do not have the required Driver’s License, you will not be able to select it.  When a position is selected, a contract is generated.  Once a contract is signed, the selection is final and cannot be reversed.

Note:  Your orientation session maybe at a different location from your regular reporting location, refer to your contract for specific details.  Employees should contact their new supervisor should they have any questions or concerns (e.g. orientation, safety gear, etc.), contact details are located on the contract.

At the end of a work assignment, employees will be contacted to determine next steps, that is to either: review available options, or bump a junior employee (if applicable), or accept layoff.  Further information can be found in the Layoff & Bumping section.

Note:

  • Permanent Local 416 employees may participate in the Work Selection process under Article 28 of the Local 416 Collective Agreement if their jobs have been deleted, or if they have been otherwise displaced (further information can be found in the Permanent Placement Process section)
  • If there are changes to your mailing address, email, or phone number; send an email to: workselection@toronto.ca by the end of January.
  • If an employee fails to attend their scheduled selection date/time, employees can contact the Work Selection team to determine next steps.  Note:  If an appointment is rescheduled, employees will only be able to select from what is available at that time.

Post-Secondary Education and Release from Work

Temporary employees who intend to apply or have already applied to a full-time post-secondary education institution must submit written notice / proof of application before entering into a work contract at work selection.

Once you receive confirmation of your acceptance into school, you must submit proof of acceptance six (6) weeks before the start of the study period to your supervisor.  As per the Letter of Agreement:  Temporary Work Opportunities / Assignments, part 5, section (iv), the City will release you from your work contract.

Important!  Should you fail to advise the City of your intent to return to full-time studies before selecting a work contract, and do not submit proof of acceptance six (6) weeks before the study period, the City is not obligated to release you.  You will be required to remain for the full term of the contract, from start to end.

License information

Should you select a position that requires an Ontario Driver’s License (i.e. G, DZ & CZ), you must have the valid license before the position is selected.

If you do not have the required G City Permit, at the time of selection, you must provide us with your verbal consent, so we can verify your details with Fleet Services.  If you meet the requirement, on your first day of work, your supervisor will arrange for you to complete an online course through ELI.

If you do not have the required DZ & CZ City Permit, at the time of selection, you must provide us with your verbal consent, so we can verify your details with Fleet Services.  If you meet the requirement, you will be scheduled for city permit testing.  Note: you must pass the city permit testing before you start your contract. If you are unsuccessful, you will be removed from the contract.

Addition / Removal of classifications from PWSL within current calendar year

An employee may, no later than one week after the completion of Work Selection, remove any classification from or add any previously removed classification back on their PWSL.

General information

 Employees are unable to work under the authority of a relative.  If such a position is selected at Work Selection, you will be removed from that position.

Modified Work – for those with medical restrictions:

  • Disability Management Consultants will be available at Work Selection to assist in selection.
  • Should an accommodation need arise after Work Selection and before your start date, you must provide medical documentation to your supervisor before your scheduled start date.
  • If you report to work and are not able to perform the essential duties of the position, and you do not have medical documentation, you may not be able to start work until the information is provided.

Failure to Participate in Work Selection

Employees who do not participate in Work Selection, will remain on layoff (provided that recall rights have not expired – within twenty-four (24) months from the last layoff date – see Article 28), and will not be contacted for recall until the following Work Selection. Employees must advise the City, in writing, when available for recall.

The Personal Work Selection List (PWSL) lists job classifications in the Senior Qualified Process that an employee is qualified to perform. These are the jobs that employees may pick from at Work Selection and be recalled to throughout the year.

Employees may add job classifications to this list by applying to and participating in assessments through Notice of Assessment postings, Job Competitions, or performing Superior Duties (Continuous Acting Assignments) in a Senior Qualified classification for a minimum of four continuous months. When an employee is successful in an assessment, their PWSL will be updated to include that classification.

Temporary employees who are deemed qualified through an assessment will have their names maintained on a Qualified Employee Inventory List (QEIL) for as long as the assessment is valid.

Employees will receive an updated PWSL prior to each Work Selection in the Work Selection invitation letter/email.

Recall

Employees can update their recall availability date at each Work Selection by completing the Recall Classification Form after the job(s) have been selected for the year.

Employees may be recalled while on layoff to any classification listed on their PWSL.  Employees can remove a classification or add a previously removed classification back onto the PWSL no later than one week after being recalled.

Employees will be given an opportunity through Work Selection to obtain your required City Permit, provided that your license is in good standing.

Student Summer Recall is only available to current employees of the City of Toronto who are members of Local 416.

The City of Toronto has a separate process for Student Summer Employment, which takes place after Work Selection. If an employee is a student, they are still able to participate in Work Selection.

Employees are recognized as a student if they are registered as a full time at an accredited educational institution. Employees who submit proof of enrolment will be offered Labourer 3 / Student positions in seniority order until all positions are filled. There are a limited number of positions.

Example:

Anna is a Parks Handyworker 3 at the City of Toronto. She also attends University of Toronto full time. She is planning to attend Work Selection to pick a job that suits her availability in the summer. If she cannot work select a position that lines up with her school term, she will apply for Student Summer Employment which lines up exactly with school term start and end dates.

Summer work for students begins no earlier than May 1st and ends no later than August 31st each year.

To apply, please submit a Student Documentation Form.

For further information, refer to the Local 416 Memorandum of Settlement, New Letter of Agreement – Re: Student Summer Employment; or contact workselection@toronto.ca

The ‘Qualified Employee Inventory List’ is a database of employees that have been deemed qualified for ‘senior qualified’ classifications for as long as the assessment is deemed valid. The City of Toronto maintains the database with results from assessments as listed below.

Employees can attain a ‘Deemed Qualified’ status in three ways:

1.    Job Call Posting

Permanent and/or temporary Employees who apply and are screened in/assessed (scoring 70% or higher) will be deemed qualified through the job call process.  Names will be added to the database and will remain qualified for as long as the assessment is deemed valid.

2.    Notice of Assessment Posting (Note: This is not a job posting to fill a position)

This is an invitation for members of TCEU Local 416 to attend an assessment to pre-qualify for a particular Senior Qualified classification. Employees who are successful in this assessment process and wish to be considered to fill future vacancies must apply to Permanent or Temporary job postings.

Permanent / Temporary Employees who are deemed qualified through the Notice of Assessment will have their names placed into a database and will remain qualified for as long as the assessment is deemed valid.

3.    Alternate Rate Continuous

In circumstances where an employee performs the Senior Qualified job through a continuous ‘Acting Assignment’ for a period of at least four (4) continuous months in the prior two (2) years shall be considered deemed qualified for a period of two years from the end date of the acting assignment.

Employees who are deemed qualified for any particular Senior Qualified classification(s) will be exempt from future assessments in recruitment for the same classification(s).

In August of each year, temporary Local 416 employees whose contracts are nearing their end date are invited to a Layoff & Bumping event.  All temporary Local 416 employees are invited, in seniority order, and are provided with options.  Temporary Local 416 employees can either:

  1. Accept layoff at the end of their current work assignment, or
  2. Select a temporary vacancy, for which they have outlined in their PWSL, or
  3. At the end of the current work assignment, bump a junior temporary employee who is in a bumpable position (that they are qualified for).

Employees who do not attend the Layoff & Bumping session, and do not submit a Bumping / Vacancy Selection Form by the deadline, will be laid off.

Employees who are laid off and later recalled to a vacancy, are required to accept the recall only if that particular classification is listed as your Recall Classification Form.

Important:

  • Jobs picked at Work Selection are not available for bumping.
  • Employees who work selected more than one work opportunity/assignment can only bump after the second work term ends.
  • Temporary employees must be available for the entire duration of the opportunity / assignment into which they bump.

Default Classifications listed below are jobs that do not require formal assessment to qualify for placement:

  • Labourer 2 (No Driver’s License required)
  • PF&R Custodian (No Driver’s License required)
  • Light Equipment Operator 1 (Must have a valid G License and City Permit) *
  • Light Equipment Operator 2 (Must have a valid G2 License and City Permit) *
  • Transfer Station Operator (Subject to Physical Demonstration)

*A valid driver’s license is one that is not cancelled, suspended, expired, or not renewed and valid in Ontario. Driver’s license information will be verified on the day of work selection.

Classification Hierarchy (Specific to PF&R Positions Only – No Additional Assessment Required)

Classifications listed below are higher-level classifications that automatically grant Deemed Qualified status to lower-level classifications:

  • Arborist 2 – eligible for Arborist 3
  • Arena Pool Operator 1 – eligible for Arena Pool Operator 2, Arena Operator, Pool Operator
  • Arena Pool Operator 2 – eligible for Arena Operator, Pool Operator
  • Custodian 2 – eligible for PF&R Custodian
  • Gardener 2 – eligible for Parks Handyworker 3
  • Greenskeeper – eligible for Parks Handyworker 3
  • Grower 1 – eligible for Grower 2, Gardener 2, Parks Handyworker 3
  • Grower 2 – eligible for Gardener 2, Parks Handyworker 3
  • General Handyworker 2 – eligible for General Handyworker 3 (same division-unit)
  • Parks Handyworker 2 – eligible for Parks Handyworker 3

Temporary employees who are on layoff will be recalled to available work in order of greatest seniority. Laid off employees will be considered for recall to job classifications listed on their Personal Work Selection List (PWSL) including default positions.

To be recalled, you must be:

  • A laid off temporary employee,
  • Within the 24 month period following your layoff date,
  • Have the classification listed on your PWSL.

See Local 416 Collective Agreement:  Letter of Agreement – Personal Work Selection List:

Where the employee has been assigned to a higher rated classification, under Article 23 Superior Duties for a period of at least four (4) continuous months in the previous two (2) years prior to the work selection year in which the employee wants to select the higher rated opportunities/assignment, the employer agrees that the job classification will be added to a temporary employee’s Personal Work Selection List.
Letter of Agreement – Personal Work Selection List

Recall Classification

The City and the Union agreed that all temporary employees will be assigned a recall classification, subject to the employee being capable of performing the work of the classification. Once the employee has identified their recall classification, they cannot decline recall to this classification. If recall is declined, employment will be severed. Employees must specify their Recall Classifications by filling out the Recall Classification Form at Work Selection. A Recall Classification can be changed by the employee at Work Selection and/or upon layoff.

Declining Recall

Employees may decline recall only if the classification is not listed as their recall classification.  If an employee does not want to be recalled while on layoff, the employee must advise TEAM Central when they will be available to work by emailing their recall availability date to workselection@toronto.ca.

See – Collective Agreement:  Letter of Agreement – Eligibility List.

The People & Equity Division may establish an Eligibility List for permanent vacancies in the following classifications:

  • Arena Pool Operator 2
  • Transfer Station Operator

City of Toronto Local 416 job postings will indicate when an Eligibility List is being established. The Eligibility List is a list of applicants who were successful in the assessment process under clause 19.05.

The Eligibility List is valid for 6 months and will be used to fill any permanent vacancies that occur during that time.

Once an employee accepts a vacancy through the Eligibility List, the employee will only be offered new permanent vacancies, in seniority order, for the duration (6 months) of the list.

An employee may decline an offered vacancy a maximum of two (2) times, after which they will be removed from the Eligibility List.

Article 28 – Layoff and Recall

Displacement of Permanent Employees (Clause 28.03)

When an employee is displaced under Article 28, they will select one of the following 5 options:

  1. To be laid off and placed on the recall and work selection lists
  2. To accept early retirement if eligible
  3. To have their employment terminated and to be paid in accordance with the Employment Standards Act, 2000 as amended
  4. To accept a voluntary separation package if offered by the City
  5. To exercise his or her seniority to proceed in the Placement Process for Permanent Employees as outlined in Clause 28.06

Placement Process for Permanent Employees (Clause 28.06)

Permanent employees who select the Placement Process will be able to select vacancies or bumping options as outlined in clause 28.06.

The Joint Placement Committee is available for any questions you may have throughout the process. You may have a Union Representative from the Joint Placement Committee accompany you to meetings to discuss displacement.

Joint Placement Committee Contacts

City of Toronto

Local 416

Rights & Responsibilities

Retraining (Clause 28.09):  One month of training can be provided, if required.

Wage Protection (Clause 28.10):  If you are placed in a permanent vacant position at a lower wage rate, you will continue to receive your current base rate for 24 months. Following the 24-month period, you will then receive the rate applicable to your new position.

Right to Return (Clause 28.11):  An employee shall have the right to return to a permanent position within the classification held prior to receiving the notice of layoff should it become vacant during the twelve (12) month period following placement.  Responsibilities:

  • Provide your most up to date information related to skills and medical, if applicable
  • Attend all meetings and be an active & cooperative participant in the process
  • Contact a Joint Placement Committee Representative if you have questions/concerns
  • Actively seek out a new position

An employee who elects the option outlined in clause 28.03(e), will proceed through the following process provided they are qualified and able to perform the work:
Such employee shall be placed in a vacant permanent position in the following order:

  1. Elect to be placed in any vacant permanent position in the same or higher rated classification City-wide. If the employee does not elect to be placed in a vacant permanent position City-wide, they will be placed in a vacant permanent position in the same classification within his/her quadrant. Only if this is not possible.
  2. Elect to bump the most junior permanent employee in the same or higher rated classification within his/her quadrant. If no such bump exists, the employee may elect to bump the most junior permanent employee in the same or higher rated classification City-wide.
  3. Elect to be placed in any vacant permanent position in a classification at the same rate of pay City-wide. If the employee does not elect to be placed in a vacant permanent position in a classification at the same rate of pay City-wide, they will be placed in a vacant permanent position in a classification at the same rate of pay within his/her quadrant. Only if this is not possible.

See – Local 416 Collective Agreement:  Placement Process for Permanent Employees – Clause 28.06

Seasonal Work:

  • Involves a fixed term temporary contract. The City can extend or shorten the term by up to 2 weeks either at the beginning or end of a term.
  • Employees must commit to the full term and cannot vacate before the term’s end unless they accept a permanent position.
  • Employees may also accept a superior duty / alternate rate. This would have the same employment term as the original opportunity.

 Non-Seasonal Assignment:

 The purpose of a non-seasonal assignment is to: either backfill for an absent employee, or created as a special project, or to meet unexpected workload demands.

  • The term of a non-seasonal assignment may change – depending on why the assignment exists. For example, if backfilling due to an absent employee, should the employee return to work, the non-seasonal assignment would end.

Important:

  • Non-seasonal jobs offered at Work Selection are generally not bumpable, the only exception is that if the absent person returns from leave or if the job is filled permanently.
  • Non-seasonal jobs received after Work Selection will be made bumpable.

Layoff:

Occurs when the term of a temporary seasonal or non-seasonal contract comes to an end.

Recall:

Occurs when an employee is being brought back to work from a ‘Laid Off’ status.

Reassignment:

Occurs when an employee moves from one temporary contract that is ending, directly into a new contract, without a missing any days of work (break-in-service) in-between the two contracts.

If you do not find the information you are looking for on this website, please contact the Work Selection information line at 416-338-0016 (Option 2) or by email: workselection@toronto.ca.