Toronto residents continue to drag their garbage to temporary dump sites. The strike by municipal workers began June 22. (Canadian Press) There doesn't appear to be any significant movement to end the strike by Toronto's municipal workers and the head of one of the striking locals says it may look for ways to send the dispute to arbitration.
Mark Ferguson, president of CUPE Local 416, said negotiations over the weekend were a bust from the union's perspective.
"Instead of getting closer to a deal we feel that the city has actually reneged and backtracked in many areas. We're currently reviewing the situation with our legal counsel to see if there is remedy that can be brought at the Ontario Labour Relations Board."
Municipal workers from CUPE Local 416 and CUPE Local 79 went on strike June 22.
Some neighbourhoods have rented dumpsters to get rid of garbage. (Priya Sankaran/CBC) The city has been without regular services for a month and during interviews on CBC Radio's Metro Morning neither Ferguson nor Toronto Mayor David Miller had much good news for frustrated residents who have had to drag their garbage to temporary dump sites.
"Public opinion is something that we need to be concerned with," said Ferguson. "We know that this is not a popular strike with Torontonians, but at the same time we also realize that there are bigger issues at play."
The union says the city is trying to "gut" its current collective agreement by demanding concessions. The ability of some union members to bank sick days has been a point of contention, but not the only one.
"Sick days are still an issue — very much alive and well at the table — but I can say with 100 per cent certainty that even if that issue was cleared off the table that we would still be on strike," the union leader said.
Miller said the issues in dispute could be resolved if the union would bargain seriously.
"There's absolutely nothing on the table right now that's a city proposal that takes away anything from the past collective agreements. Nothing. Are the unions asking for improvements in certain areas? Yes they are. There are some areas we can work with them. There are some where we can't.… But there is nothing that is on the table that anybody could characterize as a concession."
Toronto firefighters put out a minor fire in a garbage receptacle at King St. and University Ave. on Monday evening, July 20, 2009. TTC special constables called Toronto Fire after seeing someone toss a lit cigarette into the receptacle, which was overstuffed with garbage due to the civic workers strike. (Robin Rowland/CBC) The Toronto mayor said the union is digging in its heels over wage increases similar to those given to other public sector workers in Canada's largest city.
"If we gave that kind of settlement to these 30,000 workers, in next year's budget we'd be cutting services," said Miller.
"We simply can't afford the kind of raises that the police got through arbitration, which Mr. Ferguson mentioned. It's just not possible. With benefit improvements it adds up to 12 per cent over three years. That's impossible. We can't do that. There's not the money there."
The two sides appear entrenched, with city residents caught in the middle.
The city is running controversial temporary dump sites for residential and commercial garbage. Nearby residents have complained about the smell. Others have complained that the designated areas are mostly in city parks.
The strike has put 24,000 of the city's 30,000 workers on the picket line. About 6,000 workers have jobs deemed essential.
The work stoppage has affected city-run daycares, pools, garbage collection, parks and recreation services as well as most clerical functions such as the processing of permits and public health services.
The strike could be resolved "today" said Miller on Monday. "But we need the leadership of both unions … to find a way to get to 'yes.' "
Temporary garbage drop-off 
Permanent garbage drop-off
