City owned ski hills may be run privately

Proposal for contracted out ski hills has some nervous
City looks to save $700,000 cost to run three facilities
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier March 4)

Earl Bales ski hill may be contracted out to save money. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Clive Kessel is concerned about the future of Earl Bales ski hill.
The city owns and operates ski hills at Earl Bales and Centennial plus the Glen Rouge Campground, but it is considering asking the private sector run these facilities.
“Our fear is no one would take it over,” said Kessel, who pays the city to use the facility for his North York Alpine Race Club. “Then what will the city do?”
The city says its losing $700,000 a year on the three sites and is considering private sector operation as part of their on-going budget discussions.
Kessel says the ski lifts on site are old and costly to maintain plus insurance for the site could be more expensive for a private operator than the city, all factors which may deter a business from coming in to run the hill.“There’s a real risk we’ll lose the facility,” said Kessel.

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Miller strikes back at critics

An exclusive op-ed for the Town Crier by Mayor David Miller
This opinion piece by T.O’s mayor offers his thoughts on the strike

By Mayor David Miller
(Written by Mayor Miller Aug. 11 for the Town Crier. This is the paper Kris Scheuer works as city hall reporter.)

The strike by CUPE local 79 and TCEU local 416 was an extremely difficult time for the people of Toronto, city employees and city council.
However, Torontonians coped remarkably well. City management and non-union staff deserve immense credit for the work they did to keep the city moving while 30,000 people were off the job.
One question I was repeatedly asked during the labour disruption was why it had to happen at all. Now that we’ve reached a negotiated settlement with our employees, I believe it’s a good time to answer that question.
The unions went on strike because they wanted parity with provincewide contracts like the one awarded to the Toronto Police Service by an arbitrator. Such settlements, reached between 2006 and 2008, followed a provincial pattern of wage increases of at least 3 percent per year. With benefit improvements, those contracts saw employment costs for Ontario cities climb in the range of 11 and 12 percent over a three-year period.

Who voted for new union contracts

Toronto city council approved new deals two unions
Here’s how each politician voted
By Kris Scheuer

The strike is over after city council approved new contracts for CUPE locals 416 and 79.
The final vote was a close one at 21-17 in a heated debate on July 31.
Want to know how every politician voted?

Council votes for union deal, ends strike

Toronto’s 39-day strike is over as politicians approve new labour contracts
July 31 close call vote came after a heated all day debate at city hall
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for the Town Crier July 31.)

Council’s final decision to vote for the new union deals was a squeaker at 21-17.
Another seven councillors were absent from the vote or had to sit out because of conflicts of interest during the all-day debate July 31.
Don Valley East councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong voted against the deal.
“I’m standing up for this city and my constituents because they stood up for Toronto (during the strike),” he said during the debate that began at 9:30 this morning.
Etobicoke-North councilllor Rob Ford also voted the deals down. “The average person out there doesn’t get to bank sick days,” the outspoken councillor said. “The mayor said negotiations were a matter of give and take. The mayor was giving and the unions were taking.”

Council approves union deal, strike over

Politicians approve contracts with CUPE locals 416 and 79
Labour disruption now over, city services start back
By Kris Scheuer
(Written July 31 for Town Crier)

The 39-day strike is now over as city council has ratified all new contracts with both unions around 6:30 tonight.
“I am very pleased to be able to advise Torontonians that the labour disruption with CUPE locals 416 and 79 is finally over with a council ratification today,” Mayor David Miller told the media following the vote.
“I wish to thank Torontonians for their patience and understanding.”
Union staff started to empty 5,000 litter bins at the strike of midnight this morning even before a council vote was held.
Now that the strike’s officially over, workers will immediately begin the work of cleaning up the 26 temporary dumps of 25,000 tonnes of trash.

CUPE local 416 votes yes for contract

Garbage collectors vote for new deal, back to work at 12:01 July 31
By Kris Scheuer
Good news Toronto. It’s official, CUPE local 416 members ratify new contract offer from the city.
It’s July 30 at 11:36 p.m. and I just read the confirmation from the source, the union’s website.
“Ratified Collective Agreement. Local 416 outside members have ratified the collective agreement. All members should return to the regular shift as of 12:01 am Friday July 31/09.”
Union members returning to work after the strike of midnight are going to start emptying trash cans on the streets and picking up litter. You should see a difference by the time you wake up Friday morning. And beginning next Tuesday, garbage will picked up from homes and small business customers on regular collection days.

CUPE local 79 returns to work

City’s inside workers back on job at 12:01 tonight
Daycare workers, nurses in homes for aged among returning strikers
By Kris Scheuer

City council still has to vote on Friday for this union’s four new contracts.
But no matter, the light at the end of the tunnel is striking workers will be back on the job just after midnight tonight.
“Please report for work at your next regularly scheduled shift or workday as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 31,” says a statement on CUPE local 79‘s website tonight.

Council vote on union deal hits roadblock

At least 10 city politicians to vote against union contracts tomorrow
Wage increases, bankable sick days points of contentions
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier July 30. Read July 31 UPDATE on the final vote.)

City councillors known as the Responsible Government Group vowed to vote against the negotiated deals with CUPE locals 416 and 79 at tomorrow’s special council meeting.
“Throughout the last five weeks of a strike the people of Toronto have put up with trash in their parks and cancelled services because they believed it was necessary in order to achieve a fair and affordable contract,” Eglinton-Lawrence councillor Karen Stintz said at a press conference this morning. “We have achieved neither.”
The contracts award striking workers with a six percent pay increase over three years and an option to continue to bank sick days until retirement or take a buyout and switch to the new short term disability plan.

“After a strike of almost six weeks the unions and mayor have declared they have reached an agreement that is fair to both employees and the people of Toronto,” Toronto-Danforth councillor Case Ootes said today.  “Citizens have been let down.  “The mayor promised to eliminate the costly sick benefit program and has failed to meet that commitment,” he added. “This agreement is not affordable and not acceptable to the taxpayers of Toronto.”

Post-strike service resumption

Mayor to announce when all city services back on track
Press conference this afternoon expected to be quite detailed
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier July 30. Check here for update, I wrote today.)

Mayor David Miller and city manager Joe Pennachetti will announce details today at 3 p.m. on when camps, community centres, daycare, island ferry service, and garbage and litter collection will resume. Both of the city’s striking unions — CUPE locals 79 and 416 — have said they are willing to return to work as of tomorrow. I will be at that press conference, so check back this afternoon for all the dirty details.

Toronto strike not over yet

CUPE local 79 votes for new contract, local 416 yet to hold vote
Both unions hashing out back to work protocol before they resume jobs
By Kris Scheuer
(Click here for July 30 update on end of strike)

Strikers are still maintaining picket lines on day 38 of labour unrest.
Today, local 79 that represents city inside workers including long term care nurses and day care workers voted for a new deal. The contract awards them with a six percent raise over three years and options to continue to bank sick days or opt for a buy out and switch to new short term disability plan.
Employees may have voted for the deal today, but they will walking the picket lines rather than back to work tomorrow
Union president Ann Dembinski stated tonight, that Local 79 has ratified the “Memorandums of Agreement”  for its full and part time workers.
However, “Back to work protocols are still being worked on. Please report to your picket site until further notice,” she said in a July 29 statement on CUPE local 79‘s website.