LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 22, 2015) - With less than 14 hours left to reach a settlement with the city's 'inside' municipal workers, the real decision makers of the city have not come to the bargaining table, wasting precious time and increasing the likelihood of a service shutdown that would negatively impact London's residents, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

"Mayor Brown has publicly stated that he expects both parties to do what it takes to find a solution, but it is extremely difficult to do that if the real decision makers from the city are not at the bargaining table," said Shelley Navarroli, president of CUPE 101. "The union's decision makers are all here at the bargaining table, but we've been told that the city's representative 'has to seek instructions' before moving forward on our proposals. At this critical juncture, it is important for the real decision makers to be here talking with us to avert a service shutdown."

"We are urging Mayor Brown to ask his team to send the real decision makers to the bargaining table so we can negotiate a settlement as quickly as possible," concluded Navarroli.

CUPE 101 represents over 750 'inside' workers who provide municipal services, including water and waste water administration, finance and administration, building and property standard inspections, by-law enforcement, tourism, traffic management, roads construction management, recreation programs registration, social services, provincial offensive services, streets and traffic lights management, IT services and more. They face a legal lockout or strike deadline of May 23, at 12:01 a.m.