No one talking about garbage strike?

[Mr.Canada]

I find this hard to believe. What with so many Urbanite left wingers on here I thought they'd love to have a chance to talk about Mayor Miller and his darling's...the unionized worker.

I cannot believe that you 416'ers support these union workers...it is laughable but hey, it's your tax dollars. 18 bankable and accumulative sick days a year is outrageous, they should be ashamed of themselves to ask for more. Enjoy the smell...lol.

[M.Dancer]

I cannot believe that you 416'ers support these union workers

I cannot believe your central cortex can function above jelly fish levels ....so there ya go

[CANADIEN]

I find this hard to believe. What with so many Urbanite left wingers on here I thought they'd love to have a chance to talk about Mayor Miller and his darling's...the unionized worker.

I cannot believe that you 416'ers support these union workers...it is laughable but hey, it's your tax dollars. 18 bankable and accumulative sick days a year is outrageous, they should be ashamed of themselves to ask for more. Enjoy the smell...lol.

I must admit I admire your logic. People on this site have not considered the Toronto strike important or interesting enough to discuss, so that mean they support the strikers/

By that logic, you must be in favour of, let's say:

- prostitution

- Quebec language laws

- bank frauds

- the use of torture on criminals

[kimmy]

Tell us what we really need to hear, Mr Canada... how do immigrants factor into this issue?

-k

[lily]

I find this hard to believe. What with so many Urbanite left wingers on here I thought they'd love to have a chance to talk about Mayor Miller and his darling's...the unionized worker.

I cannot believe that you 416'ers support these union workers...it is laughable but hey, it's your tax dollars. 18 bankable and accumulative sick days a year is outrageous, they should be ashamed of themselves to ask for more. Enjoy the smell...lol.

I'm not a 416er, so I don't really care.

[madmax]

The End.

[Topaz]

Well it was the end till some councillors are saying they aren't going to vote the agreement. The problem is the sick days that present workers keep and it not being fair to UN- unionized workers. This one councillor that was talking said that it wouldn't stop the contract from being stopped because the mayor had 30 votes in council to pass it.

[M.Dancer]

The stike could go one as long as it takes for the banks to foreclose on the strikers homes...I'm prepared to stink it out to the bitter end.

[tango]

Nothing to talk about anymore!

I was in Toronto the other day, drove past two parks full of garbage bags. It didn't smell as bad as Yonge St on a normal Sunday when all restaurants throw a weekend's worth of garbage into the back alleys and it isn't picked up until Monday. So ... now Toronto's normal stench can resume! lol

After 36 days of stench, Toronto's garbage strike is over

JENNIFER LEWINGTON AND BRODIE FENLON

TORONTO — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2009 02:51AM EDT

A sprawling month-long civic strike in Canada's largest city ended yesterday, with two of Toronto's largest unions holding on to key benefits from the cash-strapped municipality.

The three-year deal preserved benefits for nearly 30,000 current workers - including a hot-button bankable sick-day scheme - and also included modest wage gains, sources told The Globe and Mail.

The deal ends a 36-day strike that brought garbage collection to a halt and shuttered summer camps, libraries and swimming pools. It was the longest labour dispute in the city's history.

more...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nation...article1233260/

[daniel]

Well it was the end till some councillors are saying they aren't going to vote the agreement....

This is the same group that has always opposed anything Mayor Miller initiated.

One of them is my own councillor of 14 years whom I have known to never had supported anything.

...It was the longest labour dispute in the city's history....

It was also Miller's only labour strike in his 5-years as Mayor. Not a bad record compared to the predecessors in both municipal and provincial governments. The last garbage strike ended in legislated arbitration - not negotiated settlement.

Edited July 30, 2009 by daniel

[Wild Bill]

This is the same group that has always opposed anything Mayor Miller initiated.

One of them is my own councillor of 14 years whom I have known to never had supported anything.

It was also Miller's only labour strike in his 5-years as Mayor. Not a bad record compared to the predecessors in both municipal and provincial governments. The last garbage strike ended in legislated arbitration - not negotiated settlement.

Considering Mr. Miller's words against his predecessor Mel Lastman during the last strike and how much longer and more expensive Miller's strike has proven to be, don't you find Mr. Miller to be a tad hypocritical?

[ba1614]

I find this hard to believe. What with so many Urbanite left wingers on here I thought they'd love to have a chance to talk about Mayor Miller and his darling's...the unionized worker.

I cannot believe that you 416'ers support these union workers...it is laughable but hey, it's your tax dollars. 18 bankable and accumulative sick days a year is outrageous, they should be ashamed of themselves to ask for more. Enjoy the smell...lol.

Just as outrageous as Miller and his ilk getting a month separation pay for every year of service.

[ba1614]

Considering Mr. Miller's words against his predecessor Mel Lastman during the last strike and how much longer and more expensive Miller's strike has proven to be, don't you find Mr. Miller to be a tad hypocritical?

Not to mention Miller accomplished nothing with this strike.

[daniel]

Not to mention Miller accomplished nothing with this strike.

The last strike ended in legislation because the Pope was coming. Lastman accomplished nothing and the unions got everything they wanted under arbitration. And during the Harris/Lastman years, it was strikes in-perpetuity. Thus, costs under the Harris/Lastman era kept building up to when McGuinty/Miller took over.

This was Miller's only strike in his five-years and accomplished under negotiations. Relatively quite under McGuinty as well.

Edited August 1, 2009 by daniel

[Wild Bill]

The last strike ended in legislation because the Pope was coming. Lastman accomplished nothing and the unions got everything they wanted under arbitration. And during the Harris/Lastman years, it was strikes in-perpetuity. Thus, costs under the Harris/Lastman era kept building up to when McGuinty/Miller took over.

This was Miller's only strike in his five-years and accomplished under negotiations. Relatively quite under McGuinty as well.

My point is that during Lastman's strike Miller was carping from the sidelines, saying that if HE was mayor there either would not have been a strike or it would have been over much sooner.

Now David has had a far LONGER strike! With hefty concessions to the union that have many quite upset and resulted in a very close vote on council to accept the settlement.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/editoria...264231-sun.html

" It was easy for Miller to criticize his predecessor, Mel Lastman, during the last municipal workers' strike in 2002 which lasted 16 days before it was ended by provincial back-to-work legislation.

Back then, Miller, a city councillor, suggested the strike wouldn't have occurred or would have been shorter had he been mayor, while making it clear he was sympathetic to the workers.

But that was then and this is now. Now Miller is learning what Lastman knows -- that when you're in charge, rather than just heckling from the stands, your job suddenly gets a lot harder. "

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/t...poll-finds.aspx

"Mayor David Miller’s support among Toronto voters has “plummeted” to the point where a majority disapprove of his performance, and he would lose in a race against possible challenger John Tory, a new poll shows.

The dismal poll numbers, which also suggest the incumbent, two-term mayor would lose to Deputy Premier George Smitherman, come as Mr. Miller struggles to contain the political fallout of a crippling strike of municipal workers.

But the collapse in Mr. Miller’s support -- from 69% four years ago to 43% today -- is not just an expression of frustration with the stopped garbage collection and closed public services.

The poll, conducted by Ipsos-Reid for the National Post, Global Television and CFRB radio, was done largely in advance of the strike, with about 100 out of 803 respondents polled after it began."

So Miller was already slipping in the polls. It will be interesting to see the polls after this week's settlement of the strike.

It will be even more interesting to see the next mayoralty election, especially if Tory runs again.

[daniel]

My point is that during Lastman's strike Miller was carping from the sidelines, saying that if HE was mayor there either would not have been a strike or it would have been over much sooner.

Now David has had a far LONGER strike! With hefty concessions to the union that have many quite upset and resulted in a very close vote on council to accept the settlement.

Miller's longer strike ended in negotiation. Lastman relied on the Pope. Not much of accomplishment by Lastman. And for the record, this was Miller's first strike - 5 years of labour peace and strike averted settlements. No such thing for Lastman. And note, there were concessions by the union as well.

Edited August 5, 2009 by daniel

[M.Dancer]

Miller is toast. Torontonians were willing to let the strikers stay out longer....much longer had Miller had the balls to be effective.

The only question now is, will Tory finally get a job?

[Wild Bill]

Miller's longer strike ended in negotiation. Lastman relied on the Pope. Not much of accomplishment by Lastman. And for the record, this was Miller's first strike - 5 years of labour peace and strike averted settlements. No such thing for Lastman. And note, there were concessions by the union as well.

Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me but it's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

I just don't think that most of the people of Toronto share it! I think Miller lost public support, big time! Torontonians are feeling financially strapped by taxes and all the nickel and dime user fees. The garbage settlement really looks to many as if Miller simply caved. He has always appeared to be very much a union supporter anyway. The converse of that is that if you're not in CUPE he doesn't appear to support YOU!

Who cares what you and I think. The next mayoralty election could be very interesting.

[charter.rights]

Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me but it's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

I just don't think that most of the people of Toronto share it! I think Miller lost public support, big time! Torontonians are feeling financially strapped by taxes and all the nickel and dime user fees. The garbage settlement really looks to many as if Miller simply caved. He has always appeared to be very much a union supporter anyway. The converse of that is that if you're not in CUPE he doesn't appear to support YOU!

Who cares what you and I think. The next mayoralty election could be very interesting.

Torontonians generally have very short memories. As well the expressions of the few hardly represent the majority - that is something Toronto has demonstrated time after time in election after election - federal to municipal.

The settlement with the unions was as any municipality would do. It was negotiated. And while garbage was high on the list (as is winter snow plowing for other strikers) the bottom line is that Miller says the city saved hundreds of millions of dollars by introducing a shot term - long term disability plan, instead of the 18 day accumulative sick leave plan they are on now.

The real impasse I believe would have been the buy-out of the up to half of the accumulated 360 days that long term employees would be entitled to. When I was President of a CUPE local years back we went through the same process and the majority of outside employees had over 20 years service. The sick pay buy-out was presented then as a retirement severance and we eventually we had to take the option of a buy-out. Some employees were cut cheques for $25k, and some opted to hang on the days or the money until retirement.

You can bet however that our eventual agreement to go to short term - long term sick leave came at a cost to the municipality. We had excellent dental, remuneration and other benefit increases in that term

[CANADIEN]

If the Government had not intervened in 2002, tha strike would have lasted much longer than this one. Once Lastman insulted common sense as well the strikers by calling them "anti-Catholic" for starting a strike a few weeks before the Pope's visit, the possibility of a negotiated settlement was pretty remote to say the least.

Edited August 5, 2009 by CANADIEN

[Oleg Bach]

If the Government had not intervened in 2002, tha strike would have lasted much longer than this one. Once Lastman insulted common sense as well the strikers by calling them "anti-Catholic" for starting a strike a few weeks before the Pope's visit, the possibility of a negotiated settlement was pretty remote to say the least.

Looks like old Mel was playing both sides of the fence just like Miller. I've got about 10 bags of torn up rot in my back alley on Queen Street - I destested this strike- It made one feel like an old helpless person sitting in an institution...wallowing in dirty diapers while --- my childrened argued over the estate...this is a great shame - that Miller - and the union would bring us to the level of some open sewer city - just to maintain their positions..I thought government was to serve us?

It does go to show you that we eat to much - we are over packaged - and we exist soley as consumers - consuming and putting out waste. ALSO: If you can send billions in corporate welfare payments to the failed rich - bonus money etc....then a man that wipes your ass (garbage collector and handler) Is entitled to a bonus also -in the form of banked sick days - It's like denying a servant a few thousand dollars on retirement..out of sheer spite...this was also a class struggle - this strike --- It's okay for the high and mighty to have a nest egg - but the lowly garbage guy should be denied? With out these people to take away our waste - the highest of the high will eventually have to wade thought shit and maggots.

[daniel]

If Torontonians turn against Miller based on this strike, they're going to Mike-Harris themselves and end up making things worse.

Perhaps they had forgotten how Lastman got things done by running to the Province for help everytime. That's his way of getting the city's budget in order, by running to the province for another one-time emergency funding six years in a row. And then asking the military to help shovel the snow. And of course back-to-work legislation because the Pope was coming. During the Harris era, it was like strikes and public demonstrations in perpetuity for eight years.

So finally, we have a Mayor who is willing to have his city stand on its own feet. We had five years of labour peace - that's five years of averting strikes so this past one is his very first one. We see the rightwingers whining when the strike started and we see them whining when the strike ended. It was a negotiated settlement that did have the unions make concessions that including concessions on banked hours. The right ought to know from experience that if you hold out for everything, you end up getting nothing. So where did these banked hours come from? Miller didn't invent them. They existed at the time of the 2002 arbitrated settlement and they weren't eliminated back then either. But Miller did get them scaled back. A rough ride, yes but it had to be done and he didn't run to the province for help either.

Edited August 6, 2009 by daniel

[M.Dancer]

Just got a letter from Toronto Parks and Rec advising us that why can get a refund for the programmed we signed of kids up for, but were cancelled or postponed becuase of the strike.

They wish to charge us a $10. administration fee per programme, per child in order to get a refund.

Thanks David Miller you idiotic worm.

[Topaz]

When Harris came in, he decided to change the local government and make them bigger and I think Toronto and its outlaying cities and the county of Kent were the only one that expanded before Harris decided it wasn't going to work. Now part of the reasoning behind this is to make it cheaper to run. I don't think its cheaper for Toronto or the County of Kent , which is called now Chatham-Kent. Do you think if things were back the way they were before Harris, there would be less expenses, especially with garbage?

[Wild Bill]

When Harris came in, he decided to change the local government and make them bigger and I think Toronto and its outlaying cities and the county of Kent were the only one that expanded before Harris decided it wasn't going to work. Now part of the reasoning behind this is to make it cheaper to run. I don't think its cheaper for Toronto or the County of Kent , which is called now Chatham-Kent. Do you think if things were back the way they were before Harris, there would be less expenses, especially with garbage?

Doesn't Mayor Miller and his council run Toronto? I'm the last person to agree with Harris' amalgamation. We are paying dearly here in Stoney Creek since we were forcibly joined to Hamilton.

Still, Toronto runs its own budget. They pay far more than they should to any union worker. They seem to choose the most expensive way to do anything. From what I've read in the papers they never seem to be efficient and much of anything.

How can you put all the blame on Harris? Doesn't Toronto deserve the blame for any of their own actions?