Garbage Strike - Give Me a Break

[buckwheat1]

I agree with comments on sick leave it's called grandfathering a great idea.
Now counccllors makeing 160 - 180000 for get about that. The star today says the city spent 10 million on new parking meters for credit card readers
I'd say poor management.

 

[train]

FORGET about Harris, he destroyed Ontario CUT CUT CUT and look where it left us 5.6 billion in the hole in GOOD economic times

Lol....you didn't read the whole post did you? Such is the fear that name strikes in all unions leeches err I mean comrades

 

[dirkd101]

FORGET about Harris, he destroyed Ontario CUT CUT CUT and look where it left us 5.6 billion in the hole in GOOD economic times

Not to get political, but Harris did what he had to do when Cretien downloaded everything onto the provinces and inherited the NDPs mess as well!

 

[train]

The star today says the city spent 10 million on new parking meters for credit card readers
I'd say poor management.

Why exactly is that poor management ? Do you know the economic case for these meters ? Better investment than sick days I'd guess.

 

[buckwheat1]

These meters only allow the customer to use a credit card when parking insted of just using coins. A work force with high moral will produce better then one that has low moral.

 

[durexguy]

Big Unions...

The City will go broke...like California....

UNION people will realize...when the direct deposit to thier acccout...does not happen. Then the will realize, how the rest of the working world...works.

 

[dirkd101]

The garbage guys seem to be out of step with the times as most union are. Their demands are for something the average joe doesn't have and will never get. Sick time is out there in the private sector, but accumulation and payouts upon retirement are not. It's time Miller grew a pair and privatize this lot!

 

[buckwheat1]

Counselors got a 23% raise and they never thaught to blink an eye. Look at all teh buildings the city could sell they still have all the city hall from before the 1995 area. Free meals, free TTC, free golf, free zoo, and the list goes on.
I say we should only have 10 counsellors not 85 of them. How much has the city spent on deciding what to do with the Gardnier? teh list goes on

 

[Cycleguy007]

Glad I don't live in GTO

Perhaps the Union should be taken to the dump!

 

[buckwheat1]

dump is open it's called city hall Bay & Queen

 

[landscaper]

it seems both sides of the argument are out in force.

The sick day bank stops at 180 days which can be sold back to the city at retirement, it is a 250 million dollar liabilty to the taxpayers of the city and quite frankly is an out of date perk that needs to go, it dates from before the days of short term disability insurance, which I muight add is widely available these days . It is provided by insurance companies who require proof of illness or off work injury which the union does not want that old accountability thing again.

Toronto city council screwed themselves by giving the firefighters a 3% increase in secret negotiations last year, the outside workers now want that or to keep the sick bank, I think they are in for a rough ride if the city holds firm and the strike goes on Hizz Worshippp the mayor looses all that union support when he runs again, but he cann't just give them everything they want either the voters won't stand for that , the taxes might have to go up to the level of reality.

The councilors showed no shame about taking the cost of living increase this year in spite of warnings from some councilors and some people on this board as i recall, that fluttering sound of the hens coming home to roost......

Several years ago the outside workers got employment for life in their contract, they can not be laid off and firing one is so difficult the managment does not even try unless they get arrested on city time, they have the most lucrative contract in history and they are wondering why the taxpayers who are out of work and cutting back have no sympathy for them.

 

[PurpleMonkey]

So the strike is on!

Does anyone know is it only in Toronto or will it effect Peel (Brampton/Mississauga/Caledon) as well?

 

[chiller_boy]

I know of quite a few public sector jobs that allow employees to 'bank' sick time. Problem is the employees believe that they have 'earned' these days and if they don't use them they figure they should get something for them. If the practice of 'banking' is taken away then guess what happens - the employee figures if they don't use them they lose them so now they are 'sick' 18 days a year...

This issue turned into a war between the NYC subway system and its employees. Finally(or at least 10 years ago) the Union agreed that when you were sick you had to stay home or go to the doctor/hospital. No other activity was permitted. Management hird people to check and violaters were fired. And management tried to fire people so they could hire cheaper new hires.

 

[buckwheat1]

Just the city of Toronto

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I wonder how long this will be going

 

[buckwheat1]

Province will order them back 2 work in 3 weeks and it'll go before a labour arbitrator. The arbitrator will never take those sick days away but may make a decision on wage increases, but he'll look at what the city has given to othere employees in the last year and it's around 3% a year

 

[fuji]

These meters only allow the customer to use a credit card when parking insted of just using coins. A work force with high moral will produce better then one that has low moral.

I'm not convinced that a high moral can be bought. I'm also not convinced that Toronto city workers are producing much.

I say sack the lot of them and contract the work out to people who actually WANT to work.

 

[someone]

Counselors got a 23% raise and they never thaught to blink an eye. Look at all teh buildings the city could sell they still have all the city hall from before the 1995 area. Free meals, free TTC, free golf, free zoo, and the list goes on.
I say we should only have 10 counsellors not 85 of them. How much has the city spent on deciding what to do with the Gardnier? teh list goes on

I don’t understand your point. The taxpayer is already getting ripped off by the raise counsellors gave themselves. Although that is wrong, given the relatively small number of councillors, it is minor compared to the cost of these unions. However, it does mean that from our prospective (as taxpayers), it is even more important that the city tries to keep labour costs in line. Thus, you are giving a good argument not to give in to these union as the taxpayer has already been rip off by the councillors. There is no need to repeat the mistake and screw us even more.

I'm not convinced that a high moral can be bought. I'm also not convinced that Toronto city workers are producing much.

I say sack the lot of them and contract the work out to people who actually WANT to work.

I completely agree.

 

[jgd]

perspective

I wonder what similar workers get in the private sector? I recall years ago that Mississauga Mayor Hazel was quoted in a Toronto paper saying Toronto was one of very few municipalities where the garbage workers are employees and that Toronto pays a huge premium for that.
Take the whole system private!

 

[fuji]

Province will order them back 2 work in 3 weeks and it'll go before a labour arbitrator. The arbitrator will never take those sick days away but may make a decision on wage increases, but he'll look at what the city has given to othere employees in the last year and it's around 3% a year

Hopefully, though, CITIZENS notice the situation and we soon have this work contracted out.