Pending ratification by Toronto City Council, the city has now reached agreements with its 24,000 inside and 6,000 outside workers. The agreements call for annual wage increases of 1.75%, 2% and 2.5% over three years; quite a bit more than the 1%, 1% and 2% that was made in an offer that Mayor David Miller made public a couple of weeks ago when he saw a political advantage in showing Torontonians how tough a union thug-loving mayor could be with his beloved brothers and sisters.
The major bone of contention during the negotiations was the banking of sick days; 18 sick days a year that can be carried over until retirement when the workers could, up to a limit of 6 months, cash them in. During the five week strike, Miller led Torontonians to believe that he would not agree to keep this sick bank because the city simply couldn’t afford it especially, during these recessionary times. The agreements however allow current workers to retain their sick banks; the only change will be that new hires will not be allowed this overly generous benefit.
In light of the above, the unions were quick to declare victory over the mayor. What is really hard to understand is how angry many Torontonians are at the fact that Miller, who attained his position with the support of the unions, caved in to the union’s top demand. This outrage, as expressed in even Miller-loving media outlets such as the Toronto Star and David Miller TV (aka Citypulse News) is leading to speculation that the golden-haired boy/mayor is all but finished.
When Winston Blackmore, the former Bishop of Bountiful was charged with polygamy early this year, he explained his polygamous lifestyle by telling the media “I am what I am”. Short, simple and to the point. And David Miller is who David Miller is. The Marxist mayor has never pretended to put the interests of ordinary Torontonians above those of the unions and so the great outrage that is currently being expressed by city residents borders on the comical if not the abs
