T.O Garbage Strike Nears End?

The word I'm hearing is that the city is starting to cave.

For one thing, while its been hard on the strikers, the management staff replacing them has been working 7 day weeks and pulling double-shifts to keep it all together. And if you've been posted to one of the dump-sites, you're basically facing a gang of angry garbage-men--shirtless under the hot sun, their torsos well-oiled with manly sweat--who have been pitching bags of kitchen waste at you for two plus weeks (the union takes garbage from citizens and then "transfers" it to management staff, sometimes violently).

But the most important factor is: Scotia Bank doesn't want to get stuck with the clean-up tab for Caribana, and word has been going around in the local Caribbean community that the whole thing has been cancelled. That's not true, yet, but the city doesn't want to lose a week's worth of tourist business, so they're looking for a negotiating out. My wife tells me she may even be back at work this week if the union thinks there is something viable on the table. Sounds serious, too; she's been a lot happier the past couple of days and has started shopping again.

If not, well, she received weapons training with her picket sign at the big UAW rally on Thursday. People with trash to drop off may want to avoid Bermondsey. She prefers a two-handed grip.


(PS. Unions has rejected latest city offer, put counter-offer on table.)