Like so many of you on the sidelines and in the embattled combat I have conflicting viewpoints about what's happening in the city of Toronto. I get a lot of emails - especially about the strike taking place in Toronto these days. The vast majority of them coming from union members who are a part of CUPE 416 or CUPE 79; that express both support and opposition for the strike, and they all provide personal stories, experiences and impacts of the strike and possible changes to the collective bargaining agreements. I PERSONALLY believe that the City should remove the sick pay issue from the table all together, strike up a working committee of union officials and city staff to explore the issue over the term of the next collective agreement and come to a resolution at that time. That being said, the City is refusing to consider that, and the union seems resolute in it’s opposition to the City’s plans around the sick pay issue.
The City would like workers to give up Remembrance Day in exchange for Family Day. This certainly was not the intention of the Premier to deny people in Ontario another holiday in exchange. Family Day was created to be an additional holiday. While this may seem minor it’s more of the City’s pettiness that sees Torontonians sitting on piles of garbage at home, in their parks and streets.
But I do think 7.2% over four years is a reasonable wage increase, especially considering the current economic situation which does put more stress on an already financially incompetent City Council. There are so many variables to this very messy situation and what's really giving ammunition to the union argument is the fact that the City gave previous unions what they wanted, The TCHC, Port Authority, Police etc...with no take aways, and with a double standard like that in place...why should social service workers continue to provide any service if they are being stripped of their hard earned benefits while others get to enjoy them? (that's a fair question right?)
But...there is the other reality...The City has been bankrupt for some time. Mayor Miller has paid for new streetcar trains, he is saving an estimated 28 Million a week in salaries alone from this strike; so that may be the reason for why this is all happening, and some are already saying that he is using the unions as a scape goat/while in the process screwing countless thousands of lives out of their mortgages and livelihood. As the desperation mounts like the garbage that is piling up on our streets, the workers of these unions will start to feel the pinch, and the hurt will always be felt at the bottom first. This is a city under seige and a city completely taken hostage by 2 party's that are stubborn enough to go the distance.
Click HERE: For the Union's views
Click HERE: For the City's most recent offer
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