The Empire Strikes Back

As many Southwestern Ontario dwellers are well aware, there are a few strikes that have been making their way through the GTA and Windsor. For a few weeks city mantainence staff and workers have been on strike in Windsor, ON. They are fighting for wages, and pensions, and the strike means that no garbage is being picked up, no day care centres or local pools are open, which is an inconvenience especially considering the summer months have kickstarted. Well, Toronto is now facing the same sort of thing. City workers walked off the job Sunday night and all of the city is waiting and hoping for their demands to be settled. Now, we hear of a province wide LCBO strike. So, possibly starting tomorrow, summer booze will be...well, nonexistent.

Flipping through various stations at the 12 noon news hour shed some light on the situation. I agree that LCBO is facing job stability problems. It is unfair that 60% of those holding down jobs at the liquor store are part timers, and no one can live off of less that 20 000 dollars a year. But the Toronto and Windsor strikes? It seems to be that they are bargaining for more paid sick days, and pension agreements. However, if the city was smart, they would have been training others to take the jobs. Think about it. We are in an economic recession, General Motors has just shut itself down, factory workers have lost jobs, and even MySpace has downsized...and the garbagemen are going on strike? I am sure that all those who have just lost their jobs would love to scoop up the jobs of the strikers.

Toronto is a big place. There are all sorts of people living there. There is all sorts of garbage. Not only that, but with day cares closed, parents are having to find alternative places to bring their children or bow out a days work themselves. It's nasty, it's smelly, and pretty soon, it'll also be sober.

MCC: 26

Word of the Day: Strike

Quote of the Day: "Goodbye, Kristen...Have a wonderful summer!"