T.O. city workers strike (1)
TORONTO — The city known for its cleanliness may be in for stinky start to summer as thousands of Toronto municipal workers went on strike Monday morning after contract talks failed.
The two unions representing about 24,000 indoor and outdoor workers together announced just after midnight they were at a deadlock with the city and had no choice but to walk off the job.
The impasse means residents will be scrambling to get care for their children as scores of daycares, recreation centres and summer camps are shuttered.
Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, said while the city had tabled a proposal as late as 9:30 p.m., the bargaining team felt those offerings were “garbage.”
“It was an attack, a vicious attack on our membership,” he told reporters.
“Unfortunately, our bargaining committee has had to take a decision to take a strike to ensure that the collection agreement that has been negotiated over decades remains intact.”
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Updates:
12:13 pm EDT, June 22nd, 2009 — Gee: Unions living in dreamland
Popularity: 41% [?]
Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
hynd Says:
Hope they are out until the end of year.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 7:37 am
Mitch Says:
I bet there are a few thousand out of work steel, auto and other manufacturing guys that would be more than willing to have one of these jobs back.
These union members should be shot and pissed on. Jobs in Ontario being lost so quick you can’t keep count and these guys hold out for more.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The real battle is going to occur when we so are completely broke and have to force these and other government ‘workers’ into taking the same cuts as the private sector has been forced to endure.
People will not stand by and allow these, and the other parasites, to continue to leach off them while they earn less and less each and every month.
History shows that wars typically start due to the lack of fairness perceived by one group at the hands of another. I don’t know if there will be fighting in the streets but people should, and will eventually start to rebel in one way or another.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 8:19 am
LG Says:
Sympathy for CUPE? Please, my sides are hurting. Wage deflation and job destruction rage all around, and I absolutely guarantee that the city could find workers willing to work for HALF their package, and the only thing stopping this is the closed-shop labor law.
Closed-shop labor law is going to kill industries – we can see that happening now. It’s undemocratic at the individual level, and ties our hands behind our backs when it comes to global competition.
When property taxes are adjusted to reflect the reality of lower property values (as if), then look out CUPE.
As for CUPE work ethics… I once shared office space in the Toronto building that is home to CUPE. They spent more time sitting on their very fat behinds on the front step smoking than working, while they bitched about everything. Lazy. Angry. Saturated with a sense of entitlement.
Shut up, and go back to work.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 8:44 am
beentheredonethat Says:
Time to apply the proven Ronald Reagan solution to the uppity U.S. air controllers union to C.U.P.E. garbage collectors. Give them a very short deadline to report back to work or be fired. Then actually fire them en-masse. Re-hire non-unionized people and get the system operating again (about 98% will re-apply for their old jobs). Talk about taking C.U.P.E. out behind the woodshed. Could it actually be that simple I wonder? Even if it was nobody in Toronto City Hall would have the guts to do it anyway.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 8:59 am
fernstalbert Says:
What if all employees of TO went on strike. Would services improve?
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
MaryT Says:
Just listening to some woman talking on cbc about how horrible the mayor and council are, and this strike is their fault not the unions.
Fire them all.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
MaryT Says:
I wonder what would happen if the citizens of Toronto pulled a protest like in Iran.
I wonder what would happen if Union Leaders addresses were published and people took their trash to their yards.
I wonder what would happen if a mass influx of people with mowers etc showed up to cut the grass at parks.
I wonder what would happen if there were mass, daily, protests in front of the Mayors office and home demanding all CUPE workers be fired immediately, and those jobs offered to anyone on EI.
I also wonder what would happen if all the above took place in Windsor.
If these greedy union workers insist on stopping cars, how long before someone says, go to hell, and runs over one of them.
I wonder how long before citizens of Toronto elect a mayor and council with no NDP or Liberal ties, and willing to make Toronto a great place to live . The mayor has banned lots of things, why not ban strikes.
How about signs saying, A CUPE worker lives here, bring your garbage.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 11:09 am
hynd Says:
Cannot protest at the mayor’s office, it is closed until the strike is over.
Cannot protest at city hall, it is also closed until the strike is over.
Cannot fire and hire replacements until the fair wage law is overturned (i.e. must pay city union rates to get city contracts).
I live in Etobicoke so I still get garbage collection (outsourced before merger), the rest of TO is screwed.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
hynd Says:
Cannot protest at the mayor’s office, it is closed until the strike is over.
Cannot protest at city hall, it is also closed until the strike is over.
Cannot fire and hire replacements until the fair wage law is overturned (i.e. must pay city union rates to get city contracts).
I live in Etobicoke so I still get garbage collection (outsourced before merger), the rest of TO is screwed.
Let them stay out until the city has balanced the budget, hopefully it is until Nov-Dec. sometime. That may break the union.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
beentheredonethat Says:
“How about signs saying, A CUPE worker lives here, bring your garbage.”
You know MaryT, that is an outstanding idea. It’s time the little people demonstrated that they are tired off being pushed around, dictated to and inconvenienced and in this case in particular having their very health jeopardized by thuggish entitled to their
exorbitant undeserved entitlements socialist union bosses and their foot soldiers.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Cynapse Says:
Just in time for the pride parade.
Oh, there will be dark skies in the future for CUPE’s PR
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
MaryT Says:
Will the mayor be blamed for closing the city for several weeks, like PMSH was blamed for a 2 week extention of the Christmas Holiday for mps.
How much per day is the city saving with this strike. How much strike pay do these idiots get for making fools of themselves on the street. What do those that are out of work because of closure of plants, downsizing etc think of these idiots deliberately walking off a good paying job. Can businesses affected by this strike sue the union for lost profits.
Just talked to a friend who is leaving Thursday for a month to tour from Que-NFLD. They have scratched Toronto off their schedule. Wonder how many more will do the same. The libs will have a hard sell for a national daycare after this fiasco. They would never agree that it be non unionized. Wonder how many of the strikers have kids in daycare or summer programs.
To the mayor, keep them out till your budget is balanced, then reduce the workforce by x number of workers to pay the demands of the strikers.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Jack Says:
I don’t really give a damn abut garbage pickup in Toronto. Miller shoud dismiss them all and start over again just like Reagan did with the air traffic controllers.
Lot’s of people looking for jobs and no unions. This isn’t a problem except in tiny lawyer minds.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Brian S Says:
Miller is an NDP affiliate who along with McGuinty, has already bent over backwards for the unions at the expense of Toronto’s taxpayers and especially its renters, who pay the highest property tax rates, so he is not at all likely to deal with any situation as Reagan might, and it does all go to show that it will never be enough for the unions.
I will never understand why Toronto’s left believes that any of these union entitlements are a good idea let alone sustainable for any length of time, and they will undoubtedly carry on simultaneously pushing for higher taxes and affordable rents, since they cannot seem to make the simplest connection that one might possibly affect the other in a negative way. Therefore, I am putting it all down to long term damage caused by reading the Toronto Star and the G&M, and from watching too much CBC.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Jack Says:
“Well”…what can I say?
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Brian S Says:
It isn’t that I don’t care about Iranians Jack, in fact I know several, including the mechanic who keeps my old Chrysler running, who are at the moment worrying themselves sick about what is happening back in their homeland. But for now there does seems to be an information bottleneck that may be lasting, and to tell you the truth, I am not overly optimistic about the rebels’ chances against such a brutal regime.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Jack Says:
People in their “bubbles”. Understood but I’m trying to change the picture because in Iran the bubble has popped.
We’ll all see how it goes.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Cynapse Says:
On the other hand, it looks like Mayor Miller is about to have his Bob Rae moment. The well is dry and the unions haven’t adjusted to this reality, believing their sense of entitlement will trump basic finance. When Miller doesn’t give them what they want, they’ll probably turn on him and vote him out of office – clearing the way for a pissed off public to elect someone well to the right of Miller. Some people have very short memories. Happy striking!
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Brian S Says:
Our “bubbles” have their purpose Jack. This morning I had to ask my mechanic if he was sure he wanted me to leave my car with him because he seemed to be in rough shape. His answer was that work keeps his mind off of “things”, which is something that I can relate to. It remains to be seen whether my new brakes will work for any length of time, but if not, I am certain that he will fix them again under warranty.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Jack Says:
“Truly”…does anyone in the rest of the country give a damn about Toronto? Do we care if Toronto smells kind of stinky this summer? I don’t because the prevailing winds blow east and I’m just fine here.
Miller wanted it and he “got it”.
What else can I say?
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Brian S Says:
But you will continue to wonder endlessly about why people in Toronto don’t seem to give a damn about the ROC.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Jack Says:
I don’t care and they don’t matter.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Brian S Says:
Then I do have to wonder why you posted this to begin with Jack.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Cynapse Says:
Does everyone give a damn about Calgary? Cause I haven’t seen a single article on its city politics. Yet Toronto seems to always be on everyone’s lips (hate or love, it’s still attention)
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Jack Says:
“Then I do have to wonder why you posted this to begin with Jack.”
Don’t know. Call me badly sunburnt as I lived on my backdeck yesterday with my family. In pain and not thinking today.
“Oops.”
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Brian S Says:
So do you have any Tillsonburg, Ontario news you can post? I understand they have had a bad smelly dead carp problem on Lake Lisgar to deal with.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Jack Says:
Half a dozen dead carp does not equal “smelly”. How long did you work to find that one?
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Brian S Says:
Top Story, Front page.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Jack Says:
What can I say? It’s Tillsonburg. Nothing ever happens here. That’s why the yanks all head north and hunker down in “Tillsonburg” when they retire. A few dead carp makes for a really BIG story.
Heh…
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Jack Says:
Continuing — did I mention that we have a fine local hospital with one of those “thing a ma jigs”that can see in the dark. Did I mention that the hospital is walking distance from your local retirement area?
Did I mention that we have ambulances and cops coming out our butts and they will remove the skunk from under your deck?
Did I mention that their is an 18 hole golf course within walking distance? Sorry, I forgot.
It’s all about smelly carp.
I also forgot to mention that we have 20 pounders here and people eat them you know.
Did I say that?
Heh…
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Jack Says:
Final note: Remind me to “never, ever” post anything about Toronto on this site again.
I’ve been highjacked.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
fernstalbert Says:
Courage Jack! Toronto bashing is a sporting event in the ROC. The leadership of TO provides entertainment for us rubes in the hinterland. The population is so insular that they actually think the world stops at the city limits – kinda like a flat earth mentality. Some of my favourite moments in history come from the interaction of Toronto’s mayors over the decades. Remember Mel Lastman begging for snow removal in winter, how about the silly lady who banned the Bare Naked Ladies and then the creme de la creme, David Miller and his recent yearning for non-citizen voting in municiple elections to avenge the hurt feelings of his mother. I love Toronto but won’t be visiting soon. Cheers.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Jack Says:
Never again. I don’t care and they don’t matter.
Posted on June 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Mac Says:
Jack, don’t stop posting about Toronto; they’re great for comic relief!
Posted on June 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Tom Lotus Says:
Just exactly how much do each category of the striking workers make an hour and what benefits do they have — heealth, prescriptions, dental, pension, sick days and vacation?
Can you provide me a site that I can acces for these facts?
Thank you.
Tom
Posted on June 29th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Cynapse Says:
Toronto got in trouble for hiring private workers to clean up after the Pride parade. Some people also volunteered to clean up garbage on their own.
Now we know why the strikers are blocking outside work (even voluntary) – people interviewed on City TV noted that the volunteers and private companies did a far better job than the union ever has.
Posted on June 29th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Mac Says:
Heh… What kind of trouble, Cynapse? Did the union get an injunction or something?
Posted on June 29th, 2009 at 5:38 pm