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Garbage Strike 2009 (pg. 10)
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| rabbitjoker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Consider that some (about 1/4) havnt had regular collection since last tuesday |
That is us (Tuesday pick-up).
2 weeks of blue, 1 week of grey, 1 week of green all festering. |
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| Orko |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj Smitty20
unchecked "competition" (read: corporate greed) is exactly what has landed us in this most recent financial mess.
Shouldn't be allowed to strike? The law says otherwise. Besides, I don't have any part of this strike. I was never a garbage man, either, but those guys work their asses off and deserve every penny they get. The timing of the work stoppage is unfortunate, but the rampant ill informed anti-union comments on here are, yet again, quite disappointing. |
How about sticking with the issue, or we can bring up: GM, Chrysler, and Ford. Unions bled those companies (or any large manufacturing company in Canada) dry. So before you speak up, know what you are talking about. Abuse comes from both sides.
Yes, the law does provide provisions for unions, because they were written at a time when they were actually necessary. This isn't 1901, and we are not talking about Standard Oil, or railway companies from that era.
Unless you have done a comparison on what private garbage collectors make, in similar environments, how can you possibly say they 'get every penny they deserve'? How do you know what market prices are, especially for an industry you have admitted to not having worked in? |
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| Special K |
i live in etobicoke (rathburn + martingrove area) and apparently our garbage is getting picked up tomorrow as our garbage is collected by private contractors (or something to that effect)
:) |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by Special K
i live in etobicoke (rathburn + martingrove area) and apparently our garbage is getting picked up tomorrow as our garbage is collected by private contractors (or something to that effect)
:) |
^ condos and apartments, as well as townhouses are getting their garbage picked up for the most part :) |
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| Special K |
I am aware of that ...
I live in a house tho ... thats why I was pleasantly surprised by the news :p |
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| musicsnob_NOT |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj Smitty20
Yes, blame the unions. It's all their fault, as always. It wouldn't be that the city of Toronto has grossly mismanaged their budget and have realised that cutting back on salaries and benefits is the easiest way to save money, now would it? It wouldn't be yet another example of a corporation using the "recession" and "tough economic times" to cut and undermine the collective bargaining process either!
Has anyone here ever put a full week in on a garbage truck? Does anyone know how much of a toll that puts on your body over 20 or 30 years? How is a garbage man's job any less important than any of you in the private sector? I'd say that my weekly garbage pick up is a lot more essential than a lot of you working in the private sector, especially in the service sector. How many negative comments on here about unions and strikes are coming from people who telephone others all day and try to shove crappy finance products down their throats?
There are always two sides to the story. How do you guys even know that the banking sick time is the biggest issue? Are any of you here part of the union, the city or involved in the collective bargaining process?
The banking sick time/early retirement thing is something that my former union (city of London, CUPE 107) settled a long time ago. The trouble is that when city workers (here in London at least) tried to take all their sick/vacation time within a 12 month period (it re-sets every year, on your hire date), they ran into problems with management. Oh, you wouldn't believe the that management tries to pull on their workers if they think they can get away with it. My old boss attempted to TELL me when I could and could not take my vacation time and actually questioned if I was really sick a few times. So, you give an inch and they'll always try to take a mile. This is why we have ing unions in the first place. |
1. The city has grossly mismanaged their finances by not dealing with the unions sooner and now realize that perks like banking sick days is a big part of the problem. As well as having a solialist Mayor who ran his first campaign out of the unions office (416).
2. No, I have never worked on a garbage truck but I do have dealings with many different parts of the city unions on a daily basis. It is also their choice to work as a garbage man and the private sector gets paid well but don't get the extra perks. The other thing people don't realize is that the garbage workers also only make up a small portion of the workers on strike (maybe 10%) so this agrument of needing to bank sick days because the job is so hard is pointless. Someone in AP, or processing parking tickets or welfare claims doesn't have a job that is hard on their body.
3. Sick time and being able to bank them and cash them in at the end of their carrer is the main issue.
4. Every company has the right to schedule vacation time for their employees. You are entitled to time off but it doesn't say anywhere in the labour code that you have the right to choose when that time is. I would also think that it is a good managers job to question his or her employees to make sure they are indeed sick and not taking advantage of the sick time policy at said company. I have to provide proof of illness if I am sick for more than 3 days and in fact I have to go on short term disability if i'm going to be sick for more than 3 days.
5. Unions were created to protect workers from unsafe work conditions, protect child labour, and ensure a fair wage. They were not created to earn banked sick days.
How anyone attempts to justify in this economy that being able to bank 18 sick days a year and then get paid out up to 120 of them is something ANYONE deserves is beyond me. If you are getting sick for more than 18 days in a year you have some other problems that you should be dealing with. |
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| Jayx1 |
Fire them all.. then start interviews at competitive non union wages.
I know its probably illegal but it should be allowed.
At the very least its time to contract it all out privately.
Time to cut the largesse too. So they cant put a flag up on city property because a union worker couldnt put it up? People cant take pictures due to lack of permits? Isnt there something wrong with this in the first place?? |
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | City Declares War On Illegal Dumpers With Possible $10,000 Fine
The City of Toronto may be mired in the middle of a CUPE strike that's left garbage collectors off the job, but Mayor David Miller has a warning for those who toss their trash and try to dash - we'll find you. And we'll fine you.
The city has upped the stakes considerably for those who get caught leaving waste in parks, on the sidewalks and in alleyways.
"Bylaw officers will enforce city laws which start with the $380 fine," warns City Manager Joe Pennachetti. "Officers will have discretion to issue a court summons, where a first time offense could cost a person up to $10,000, or a company up to $50,000. The city will pursue full prosecution in every case. Our officers have and will continue to issue tickets for this offense."
It follows more discoveries of garbage left in places across the city that's creating not only an eyesore and a terrible smell, but a future health hazard as temperatures soar.
It happened a lot during the 16-day strike in 2002. But an angry Miller insists it won't be tolerated this time.
"We take pride in this city. I take pride in it," he maintains. "Virtually every Torontonian does, and a few people shouldn't be taking advantage of the strike to dump in public places. It's not acceptable."
The city is asking anyone who spots someone committing an illegal dumping act to call (416) 338-0338 anytime of the day or night and leave details like licence plate numbers or other identifying marks so authorities can trace the suspects.
What many found on the street during the second day of the strike shows what they're up against.
CityNews found signs of illegal dumping at a number of places, including an alleyway at Bathurst and Queen, a pile of garbage left outside a sealed city receptacle at Dundas and Spadina, and a major mess abandoned on the sands of Cherry Beach and Woodbine Beach.
The breaches at the beaches was especially frustrating for those who waited so long for the good weather to arrive. They wound up catching some rays - and some fumes, as the trash rotted in the summer sun.
"There's a lot of garbage," admits Candace Schreiber. "The trash can's overflowing and it's overflowing onto the sand. It's pretty gross."
Close to 4,000 non-union city staff are charged with keeping things clean, but it's a monumental task on a sweltering day with the beaches packed with people and so many places to try and get to.
An event held at Christie Pits before the walkout even began resulted in a huge amount of leftover trash that no one cleaned up. The result: an area that some saw as an open invitation to pile onto. Household garbage soon appeared on top and it started to grow.
City inspectors waded into the mess on Tuesday to try and find any trace of who left it there. They're out on trash patrol and have no problem opening the bags and looking for telltale signs of where the illegal material came from.
In the end, supervisory crews came and cleaned up the Pits pile. "We had to wait for bylaw to clear it, so they could identify if there's any garbage there that was household waste, maybe identify who put it there," explains park supervisor Peter Leiss. "It's a safety issue so we took care of it." |
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| Spam |
| quote: | Originally posted by Moral Hazard
Importance depends on how one measures it. That said; the relative importance of a job doesn't have nearly as much impact on wages as does the supply of potential workers. Professionals such as RJ possess skills and knowledge that are in limited supply. While a great deal of the population posses the necessary skills to work in sanitation very few possess the skills to run a successfully market a product, represent someone's interests before the court, manage an office, adjust an insurance claim, fill a tooth, etc. |
It's not JUST about the skills, but also the willingness of the worker to perform the job. I'm sure most people have all of the required skills of a garbage man, but would all of them be able to last more than a week, a day, on the job without quitting? That's a lot of heavy lifting, day in and day out, over and over again. I'd bet most people would be struggling through it by the end of the first street, if not within the first 10 houses. Could the average lawyer last a week at garbage collection? I'd think not.
That said, the underlying principle is the same, the job market works the same as any market, supply vs demand. If a glut of willing, able people are available for garbage collection postions, then wages should reflect that. Same as when there is a shortage of workers.
My only problem with unions is their lack of efficiency, not only is the average union worker making 30% more (with benefits) than the average private sector worker, they are also typically doing 30% less work to go along with it.
Everyone should be paid a FAIR wage for the job they actually DO, not just for spending their time punched-in. |
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| Jayx1 |
Commie toronto at work as usual. Fell sorry for the citizens? Nahhhh we'll just fine the hell out of you! How can they fine you by finding your name in the garbage? So what if i threw out my receipt at my buddy's place and he dumped it there? Is there no such thing as burden of proof?
What a country! |
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| Intangible |
"We take pride in this city. I take pride in it," he maintains. "Virtually every Torontonian does, and a few people shouldn't be taking advantage of the strike to dump in public places. It's not acceptable."
I agree here... It makes me sick that people are dumping garbage everywhere. They SHOULD be fined... it is ILLEGAL. Its been 2 days... people should be able to deal with a bit of extra trash...
But yes the city should also be helping citizens - providing a way for the to dispose their garbage properly.
I cant believe how much litter there is on the streets... it really makes me sad :( |
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