CUPE Local 416 president Mark Ferguson said today that the union fought back all of the concessions the city had sought but one councillor says that if that is true, Mayor David Miller has some explaining to do.Ferguson wouldn't give specifics of the tentative deal reached with the city early today, but said that the support of his members gave the "bargaining committee the ability to fight back all of the concessions," the city sought.
"As I have said from the beginning, we will end this strike like we began," he told a news conference this morning at the Scarborough hotel where his local's negotiation took place.
Pat Daley, a spokesperson for Local 416, backed up Ferguson's statement that the union had managed to "fight back all of the concessions the city sought from us."
All 118 pages of concessions? she was asked.
"Yes," she said.
If this is true, Miller obviously is not concerned about this city, nor does he want to try to get re-elected. Everyone is happy this strike is over, but it appears the unions have won at the expense of the taxpayer. It's time to privatize the trash pick up and give the work to people who are willing to work for a competitive wages.
