La grève (and avoiding the stink)

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Toronto city workers are on strike. Today at 12:01 a.m., we are 24 000 workers short – a mass that includes garbage collectors, outside workers, and daycare services.

Like many of us I’ve been hearing the buzz for days and only sort of following it while hoping for the best. Now, and 24 hrs before my own garbage collection (sigh…), the talks between the city and CUPE locals 41 & 79 have amounted to nothing really and I’m spending the morning building a list of strategies, lest this strike begin to stretch…

Fortunately the top priority on both sides is negotiation. Well isn’t that lovely? Yet this whole issue is difficult to weigh in on – Mayor David Miller performing empathy by making speeches that plead and target an overall lack of money, and CUPE local 79 leader Ann Dembinski performing l’injustice! using flowery, inflammatory statements – but thankfully the friendly lack of public transparency that the two parties had previously agreed upon regarding this issue has been lifted.

Which, I’m going to just take a moment to say: David, Sack, Ann, dear mediator: Come on! Seriously? …Really? That’s the little sidebar that you thought would help this whole situation along? This is a community, and there is nothing that will be made through discussions in a dark, secluded room. If there is a transgression against someone’s sense ot justice, shouldn’t you want to include the masses in its resolution? Perhaps I’m not understanding. Yes, the issue is complicated, but certainly it’s clear that it includes more than just these two parties.

But I digress. Clarity is certainly an issue but what’s really getting lost in this war of rhetoric is the city’s strike plan, which includes a list of services being affected. It’s very clear and I urge you to read it! There are drop-off locations for garbage, solutions for garbage as this moves forward, parks and rec limitations. City-run museums, art galleries, and cultural centers will be closed. Child care services provided by the city have been revoked. Ferry services to Toronto Island are cancelled, etc etc.

No need to get caught in the stink — look around you and be the support that your community needs. Stay engaged to overcome this mess. Eyes and ears, friends.