My experience with the workers in this strike are the tireless part timers who work in my local parks and community centers, as well as people who have devoted time to projects in the community and of course the trash collectors that work on my street.
The city is asking for HUGE concessions from their current employees. People seem to think the employees are asking for huge raises, but that is not the case. For the part timers I meet most often the current deal includes a reduced work week (by half), reduced job security through reserving the right to move them to anywhere in the city at the beginning of the season.

As a citizen who uses these programs, I cannot support such concessions. The benefits of having the people who work in my local park or community center be from the nieghbourhood, means they have a stake in making that place function well. I have watched the management of services in parks and community centers being centralized over the past several years creating ridiculous situations. I see the package on the table from the city as further centralizing management and creating an even more transient workforce.

I feel frustrated and just wanted to put this perspective out there.

If anything, once opposing sides in this dispute are directly exposed to the rotting refuse they so flagrantly inflict on local citizenry, the smell alone might help remind them that their primary commitment is to the taxpayer.

Personally, and as a rural resident, I have no great love for the hopelessly gridlocked, multi-confused ‘Big Smoke’ or whatever misery its residents so willfully endure. It could be argued that the smell of rotting garbage is a noticable improvement. It’s all part of the “Manhattanization” experiment you sewer rats were all so fond of.

Our City Management lacks leadership:
Why did this so-called Management give themselves a raise when we taxpayers get a paycut and “enjoy” workshare programs?
Why are they allowing strikers to block taxpayers dropping off garbage at transfer stations…these strikers should be charged for obstruction?
Why don’t they offer these jobs to the laid-off GM employees in Oshawa or anywhere else who are willing to have a job and not care about sick days off?
Is the City Management and these strikers oblivious of the economy situation or are they just plain dumb?

Just look around, pay attention to neighbouring Cities who manage successfully, and no garbage strikes.

Dumping trash on public land is a tricky deal. There are some people hired to snoop through your garbage to try and find out your identity so you can than be charged with illegal dumping. I was on a bike ride through cherry beach on the day after the strike started, there were already bags of garbage around the public litter bin.

Ambulances in Toronto are entirely staffed by Paramedics. There is no such thing as “an ambulance driver” .

here are the two main strike locations

34 St. Patrick St.
Toronto, ON
M5T 1V1

1350 Ellesmere Rd.-
Unit# 201
Scarborough, ON
M1H 3H2

NEGOTIATE FAIRLY !!

Drop your garbage off at:
34 St. Patrick Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1V1

and let CUPE handle it.