A City of Toronto bargaining team has raised the stakes as it looks to strike a new deal with the city’s outside workers.

The city announced Monday that it has requested a no-board report from the Ministry of Labour following a “lack of progress” in negotiations with CUPE Local 416, the union representing outside workers.

The move starts the clock for a potential work stoppage that could begin later this month.

The union represents some 5,000 workers and negotiations include those who work in a number of areas, such as solid waste collection, forestry and parks and recreation.

Paramedics are represented by the same union, but have a separate bargaining process and are covered by an essential service agreement.

The two sides have been bargaining since September and the contract expired at the end of December.

Last month union members voted in favour of a strike mandate, enabling union leaders to call a strike in the event that a deal cannot be reached.

The city and the union began working with a provincially-appointed conciliator in late January.

“The bargaining teams met over five days with the conciliation officer. Despite best efforts, progress on the remaining outstanding issues was not achieved,” the city said in a news release Monday.

According to the release, those issues include job security, wages, benefits and parental leave.

The city said it is hopeful that the no board report will “assist both sides in achieving a fair and affordable collective agreement.”

In its own statement Monday, the union accused the city of trying to “pave the way for privatization and contracting out of services.”

“All along we have been reasonable in trying (to get) a deal that protects services and respects the work our members do,” CUPE 416 President Eddie Mariconda said in a statement. “Our proposals are affordable and sustainable, which is what the city claims they want.”

Mariconda said that while he still believes that a deal is possible, the union will now begin preparing for a strike or lockout, which could occur as early as Feb. 27.

The report will likely be tabled after several days. After that, a 17-day countdown begins, at the end of which the existing collective agreement no longer applies. At that point, the union could strike or the city could lock out the workers.

The city said its bargaining team made the move “after much consideration.”

Separate negotiations remain ongoing with CUPE Local 79, the union representing the city’s inside workers.