Toronto's inner city wildlife appears to be enjoying the strike by municipal workers. The city's garbage collectors have been off the job since June 22, which is just fine with these downtown raccoons. (Tony Smyth/CBC)

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says if the two sides in the Toronto municipal strike are waiting for the province to legislate an end to the dispute, they could be waiting a long time.

"I know that it's been going on for some time," McGuinty told reporters at an event in Toronto on Monday.

But, the premier said, "it's important that we allow the process to unfold."

About 24,000 municipal workers in Canada's most populous city went on strike June 22.

Toronto Mayor David Miller says he's "frustrated" that the two unions representing inside and outside workers chose to strike while negotiations are continuing.

With the strike in its third week ,there is no obvious sign of a breakthrough in the negotiations.

The two sides appear entrenched.

Banking sick leave an issue

Reports say the city is attempting to have the unions agree to changes in the existing contracts that would see them give back some of their negotiated benefits.

One of the most contentious benefits is the ability of some union members to bank sick-leave days.

For its part, the unions are reported to be looking for wage increases similar to those given to police and firefighters earlier this year.

But Miller has repeatedly said "the world has changed" and the city cannot afford to give its unionized employees a wage hike.

'The garage is starting to stink a little bit, but it's not the end of the world.'—Dalton McGuinty, Ontario premier

Susan Stewart, a labour arbitrator and mediator in Toronto, said Tuesday on CBC's Metro Morning that the solution to what appears to be an intractable problem lies somewhere in the middle.

"In virtually every work stoppage ... people are looking for an exit strategy," she said.

The province has not sent in mediators or arbitrators to try to resolve the dispute, but Stewart says it's a decision that both sides must be mulling over.

"The parties would have to mutually decide that a mediator would assist them," she said.

Be 'patient, courteous,' premier urges

The strike has virtually shut down regular services in the city.

Local 416 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees represents outside workers, including garbage collectors, parks employees, and sewer and water-main workers.

CUPE Local 79 represents daycare workers, clerks and other inside workers.

The two locals have about 30,000 members, of which about 24,000 are on strike. The rest are classified as essential workers.

For his part, the premier said he is suffering along with everyone else in the Ontario capital.

"My garbage hasn't been picked up for a little while now. The garage is starting to stink a little bit, but it's not the end of the world. And I think most folks have found a way to manage and they understand that it's important that we allow the process to unfold and that we remain patient, courteous, as much as we can."

A strike in Windsor, Ont., has seen city workers off the job for nearly three months without provincial intervention.