By Samina Esha, National Post
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79 representing cities part-time recreation workers are set to vote on Tuesday. The voting comes after union reached a tentative deal following a five-hour negotiation with the city on Friday morning.
“I wouldn’t say we are happy because that is a pretty strong term. In terms of the agreement, it is a development from what the city had originally offered,” said Cim Nunn, a spokesman for the CUPE 79.
The two main issues for the …

City Hall  | By Matthew Kupfer | July 29, 2011
Daily Cable | The Toronto Standard
For almost 20 hours, from 11:30 am Thursday to about 6:40 Friday, Toronto city hall was a democratic hotbed. Almost 340 people registered to speak before the Executive Committee of city council, at the invitation of Mayor Rob Ford. They were there to talk about the KPMG Core Service Review.
“This is one of the proudest days I’ve ever had at city hall,” the mayor said, acknowledging that not everyone agrees, …

By M. Monastyrsky, CampbellPark.ca, CELOS
On Thursday evening residents who live near Campbell Park protested against the City’s decision to use the site as a temporary garbage dump. It was a bit of a circus.
When I got there at 5:15 pm, police and media were already on the scene. There were TV trucks with high antennas parked on the grass next to the wading pool. There were handmade protest signs attached to the fence. There were also two wreaths by a sign that said McGuinty and Miller ‘have blood on your …

By MICHELE MANDEL and DON PEAT, The Toronto Sun, SUN MEDIA
It’s the pits alright.
As Toronto residents lined up to drop off their trash on the second-last day the Christie Pits dump was in operation, many people trying to enjoy the park were left steaming hotter than their new neighbourhood trash pile.
The gagging stench rising from the dump was too much for Maria Silva and her son Joseph yesterday, so they left the park and headed back home.
“It’s disgusting,” the mom said, as her disappointed seven-year-old pulled on her hand. “Doing …

By DON PEAT, The Toronto Sun, SUN MEDIA
They’ve called the dump the pits, now they’re hoping the Ministry of the Environment will do something about it.
Friends of Christie Pits Park told the Sun they have lodged a complaint with the ministry this morning after days of dumping in their Bloor St. W. park.
Members of the group and local residents have held protests around the park’s outdoor rink since the City of Toronto began using it as a temporary dump site for the ongoing civic workers strike.
Group member Himy Syed says the …

By Brodie Fenlon, The Globe and Mail
It’s a provocative Twitter post, even for a union local that shut down curbside garbage collection across Toronto.
“Helping to ruin YOUR child’s summer by expanding designated dumps to neighbourhood playgrounds,” said the tweet, posted yesterday by “local416,” whose Twitter page links to the official site of the Canadian Union of Public Employees local representing 6,200 striking outdoor municipal workers.
Inflammatory? You bet. Real? Not a chance.
CUPE has filed complaints with Twitter and Facebook, and the union scrambled over the weekend to get online comments …

By DON PEAT, The Toronto Sun/ SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: June 25, 2009 5:22pm
Even before the city has announced locations of temporary dump sites, residents are threatening to boycott and set up pickets at the dump sites.
Christie Pits residents told the Sun that if the park is made into a temporary dump site, as is expected to be announced this afternoon, they’ll do whatever they can legally to keep the Pits from filling up with garbage.
“I think it’s a reasonable thing to voice our opposition in every possible legal …

By DON PEAT, The Toronto Sun, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 25th June 2009, 9:22am
Christie Pits residents are fuming at the thought their beloved park could be turned into a temporary dump.
While the city has yet to announce the location for its new temporary dump sites, residents see temporary fencing being set up and figure the park is about to get filled with garbage.
Friends of Christie Pits say the decision stinks, especially after watching the 2002 strike ruin the park with piles of garbage from the 16-day city strike.
The group is planning a protest for 11 a.m. today …

Photo: HiMY SYeD / photopia, on Flickr
By Corina, blogTO
If you were lucky enough to have missed the garbage strike in Toronto in 2002 (or any of the subsequent service disruptions since) don’t worry – in this city it’s becoming a regular tradition.
Only a few short years since the last strike, City workers have again walked off the job, shutting down services like summer camps and swimming pools, and suspending Toronto trash collection. Nothing says summer like a stinking city full of kids on summer vacation …

By Mike Gifford, OpenConcept
From the Open Source CMS Smackdown at LabourTech 2008 in Toronto.
Mike discusses with Ian Clysdale (CUPE) & Himy Syed (Activist & WordPress Advocate) the need & process of adopting a CMS.
It was really quite a collaborative panel, but had a very controversial name.

By Mike Gifford, OpenConcept
Well, I just got back from a whirlwind tour of Toronto.  I had agreed to present at the LabourTech 2008 conference back in March, when Chris Lawson, CUPE‘s Webmaster, asked me to participate.  I was very impressed to see the turnout this weekend.  There was quite a large turnout from Canada’s Trade Union community.  It is the first event of it’s kind I know about and it was great to see this many people get out and discuss.
I was part of a 3hr panel, the Open Source CMS Smackdown, …

By Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, Spacing Toronto
Last updated: 12:25AM, Tuesday, October 23.
Today Toronto City Council will be debating and voting on a land transfer tax and vehicle registration fee. The debate promises to be a spirited one and given what’s on the line, it’s safe to say that there will be plenty of fireworks to see.
I encourage people to go down to City Hall in person to see Council at work but for those who have daytime obligations, you can also follow along online.
I’ll also provide …