Leaders of the City of Toronto's two striking unions are rejecting the city's latest contract offer, saying they're furious with Mayor David Miller for attempting to bargain with them in public.
The proposal the city made public on Friday is a four-year deal with wage increases of one per cent in each of the first two years, two per cent in 2011 and three per cent in 2012.
In place of the workers' current pay-for-sick days plan, the city is proposing a partial payout to current employees and introducing a short-term disability plan.
The bargaining process continues. The two Canadian Union of Public Employees locals say they are preparing a counter-offer.
CUPE is also promising to step up its job actions. For Toronto residents who have gone without child care and garbage collection for nearly three weeks, the increase will likely translate to longer waits for those throwing out trash at temporary dump sites.
As the strike drags on, the city's 19 temporary dumping sites are quickly reaching capacity. If the work stoppage continues, officials say they have about 200 other places in town where garbage can be dropped off including Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Earlier Friday, a shoving match broke out at the Ted Reeve Arena temporary dump site after CUPE workers held up local residents from dropping off their trash.
