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City Workers Strike 2009
- Thread starter gei
- Start date
kEiThZ
Superstar
The 905 is a lot different now than it was during the Harris years. Today the 905 has many of the same problems that the 416 has: not enough transit, traffic congestion, smog, aging infrastructure, rising rents, etc. There is no way the tories could run a wedge issues campaign between the 416 and the 905 like they did in the past. Won't work when the issues are the same across the line.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
A similar story from The Toronto Sun (stupid hotel workers!)
The year summer died
Union cold-shoulders Centreville plan to keep swings and roundabouts going
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 22nd July 2009, 10:31am
This is how CUPE killed summer.
A behind-the-scenes solution to open Centreville, Toronto Island's privately owned amusement park shuttered since the strike began, was quashed last Friday with a threat by CUPE 416 to picket park customers.
Shawnda Walker, Centreville's director of marketing, said the month-old civic workers' strike has cost the park $3 million in sales. The majority of its 400 employees, mostly students working for the summer, have been thrown out of work.
"We never thought it would go this long," Walker said yesterday. "They are killing our summer. "They're killing the summer for the little kids ... and they are killing the summer for our students who want to work and pay for university," she said.
Last week the park's owners tried to lay the groundwork to open despite the strike, something the city was receptive to, she said.
To help gain the union's blessing, they offered to make it clear to everyone they were operating under the generosity of CUPE 416.
Just 20 minutes after CUPE received the written proposal, the park got a terse answer.
"The Union will review all of its recourse including but not limited to picketing to ensure that the work of the Local 416 bargaining unit is respected," union officials stated in an awkwardly worded e-mail.
Later, they told Centreville they'd delay customers, set up pickets on the island and at the boats arranged to ferry people to the park, Walker said.
Calls to CUPE weren't returned yesterday.
Centreville staff say they were shocked by the threat.
"That hurt," Walker said. "We really thought there might be some sympathy to the fact we are a privately owned business. We have nothing to do with this and we're caught bang-smack in the middle," she said.
The park is only open 102 days a year and relies on the city's ferries, idled by the strike, to bring the bulk of its customers to the island.
'WE'RE DOOMED'
"If we go another couple weeks, we're doomed. We will not make money (this year)," Walker said.
Despite the threat, they are weighing the risk of opening. "Our concern with opening with the union taking such a strong stance against us is that you've got little kids," she said. Visitors brought over by water taxis to the island were strolling through the amusement-park-turned-ghost-town -- the doors and windows shuttered. The park's 30 rides, including a century-old Dentzell carousel, are in limbo.
Jack Hopkins, 3, was climbing up and down on the park's now-stationary train cars. "All aboard," he shouted as his parents watched him play in the deserted park. "Where's the conductor?"
The family was on vacation from Tucson, Ariz., and their hotel told them, mistakenly, that the park would be open.
"We're definitely disappointed," mom Brooke said.
Source
The year summer died
Union cold-shoulders Centreville plan to keep swings and roundabouts going
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 22nd July 2009, 10:31am
This is how CUPE killed summer.
A behind-the-scenes solution to open Centreville, Toronto Island's privately owned amusement park shuttered since the strike began, was quashed last Friday with a threat by CUPE 416 to picket park customers.
Shawnda Walker, Centreville's director of marketing, said the month-old civic workers' strike has cost the park $3 million in sales. The majority of its 400 employees, mostly students working for the summer, have been thrown out of work.
"We never thought it would go this long," Walker said yesterday. "They are killing our summer. "They're killing the summer for the little kids ... and they are killing the summer for our students who want to work and pay for university," she said.
Last week the park's owners tried to lay the groundwork to open despite the strike, something the city was receptive to, she said.
To help gain the union's blessing, they offered to make it clear to everyone they were operating under the generosity of CUPE 416.
Just 20 minutes after CUPE received the written proposal, the park got a terse answer.
"The Union will review all of its recourse including but not limited to picketing to ensure that the work of the Local 416 bargaining unit is respected," union officials stated in an awkwardly worded e-mail.
Later, they told Centreville they'd delay customers, set up pickets on the island and at the boats arranged to ferry people to the park, Walker said.
Calls to CUPE weren't returned yesterday.
Centreville staff say they were shocked by the threat.
"That hurt," Walker said. "We really thought there might be some sympathy to the fact we are a privately owned business. We have nothing to do with this and we're caught bang-smack in the middle," she said.
The park is only open 102 days a year and relies on the city's ferries, idled by the strike, to bring the bulk of its customers to the island.
'WE'RE DOOMED'
"If we go another couple weeks, we're doomed. We will not make money (this year)," Walker said.
Despite the threat, they are weighing the risk of opening. "Our concern with opening with the union taking such a strong stance against us is that you've got little kids," she said. Visitors brought over by water taxis to the island were strolling through the amusement-park-turned-ghost-town -- the doors and windows shuttered. The park's 30 rides, including a century-old Dentzell carousel, are in limbo.
Jack Hopkins, 3, was climbing up and down on the park's now-stationary train cars. "All aboard," he shouted as his parents watched him play in the deserted park. "Where's the conductor?"
The family was on vacation from Tucson, Ariz., and their hotel told them, mistakenly, that the park would be open.
"We're definitely disappointed," mom Brooke said.
Source
kEiThZ
Superstar
I would love to see a debate between the university students losing their summer pay at Centreville and that union apologist summer student that was in the Star a few weeks ago.
Second_in_pie
Senior Member
Hm well that Trash Wars game was pretty fun.
I didn't notice that the ferries wouldn't be running though. I don't go to Centreville, but I did have plans to go to the island. Are those plans dashed for as long as this strike lasts?
I didn't notice that the ferries wouldn't be running though. I don't go to Centreville, but I did have plans to go to the island. Are those plans dashed for as long as this strike lasts?
cdr108
Senior Member
i think Centreville should open and use pvt ferries.
if there's a confrontation between strikers and Caribbana visitors ... you can imagine who will be on the losing end.
guess those city workers will need those banked sick days.
if there's a confrontation between strikers and Caribbana visitors ... you can imagine who will be on the losing end.
guess those city workers will need those banked sick days.
MetroMan
Senior Member
^ Exactly. I would have no pitty for the city workers getting in their way.
What the hell do they think they're doing disturbing a private business? Centreville can hire who they like to ferry people to their park. If CUPE intentionally disrupts that, Centreville has every right to sue their pants off!
What the hell do they think they're doing disturbing a private business? Centreville can hire who they like to ferry people to their park. If CUPE intentionally disrupts that, Centreville has every right to sue their pants off!
Redroom Studios
Senior Member
disgusting... I am not a fan of violence but i wouldnt mind seeing someone snap on these union morons. Their behaviour really invites physical confrontation.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
You can go to the islands via water taxi. Be sure to take food and water!
MetroMan
Senior Member
... or rent a kayak or canoe for the day
Maggie
Active Member
oh oh
just found out tonight a couple of juicy rumors, the Real Madrid game at BMO might be cancelled because of the strike due to getting a permit to lay the new grass and the CNE would of shut down by the Unions if Garbage had been allowed to be place there.
just found out tonight a couple of juicy rumors, the Real Madrid game at BMO might be cancelled because of the strike due to getting a permit to lay the new grass and the CNE would of shut down by the Unions if Garbage had been allowed to be place there.
ducati0000
Active Member
Why isnt any person brave enough to tackle the unions in Toronto,yes its great to get pay to work at jobs high school kids can do but at University graduate wages but at the expense of %95 of the tax payers of the GTA.Do we really need street sweepers who are paid over $20 an hour or lawn cutters at $24 an hour?.Im pretty sure you can hire anyone right now to do those jobs for half those wages.
kEiThZ
Superstar
Surely it's a blessing that the Port is owned by the feds. I say that Centreville should seek federal assistance in getting a temporary ferry taxi service going. And if the union decides to picket federal property, then hopefully the feds will be a little tougher than Miller. Though to be fair, Miller's gone a lot longer than I thought he would. He's already got back the sick days for this year....
GraphicMatt
Looking forward to a FRESH START for Toronto
Miller is holding a very hard line on this. This article in Macleans today mentions that he's refusing to even take his personal garbage to a temporary dump site.
Also this:
The unions aren't going to get arbitration, and hopefully that's starting to dawn on them. How long can the membership go making only $200 a week in strike pay? Surely there are union members who are missing rent or mortgage payments because of this.
Also this:
The unions aren't going to get arbitration, and hopefully that's starting to dawn on them. How long can the membership go making only $200 a week in strike pay? Surely there are union members who are missing rent or mortgage payments because of this.
cdr108
Senior Member
the striking union members picketing Centreville is analagous to TTC workers picketing private businesses b/c their employees took another method of transportation besides TTC.
AFAIK, the union has no rights or reason to block access.
AFAIK, the union has no rights or reason to block access.