news
Newsstand: March 29, 2012
If Thursday was a spy novel, it'd probably have a lot of propeller planes and scotch and sodas. But it's not a spy novel; it's just a day, full of news, like this: half of CUPE Local 79 accepts City's final offer, librarians to vote today on a deal, the hubbub over Regent Park condos, Rob Ford apologizes, and when geese attack.
We’re on to the advanced classes in the ongoing lesson on labour relations and human resources in a unionized environment that has been the recent past. Two of the four CUPE Local 79 bargaining units that voted on the City’s final offer yesterday have rejected the deal. The two units that voted down the offer represent part-time recreation workers and full-time long-term care. But the full-time long-term care workers are considered an essential service, so they’ll likely be going to arbitration. The part-time recreation staff are in a legal strike/lockout position, but union president Tim Maguire says that he’d rather the City just return to the bargaining table. If a labour disruption does occur, it won’t be before Friday.
Libraries may re-open as soon as Friday, as the union representing library workers is endorsing the deal they reached with the City. Union members will vote on that deal today. And all across the city, little cheers can be heard going up from lonely books.
There’s hubbub a-brewing over condos in Regent Park. This hubbub started when the Sun‘s Sue-Ann Levy wrote about those who were purchasing condos in the new mixed-use revitalization project/neighbourhood. Among the new residents are local councillor Pam McConnell (Ward 28, Toronto Centre-Rosedale), as well as some employees of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the private developer they teamed up with. But despite the TCHC board’s request that a judge review the purchase for above-boardness, it looks like the City’s former Integrity Commissioner was cool with the plan, saying that as long as there was no special treatment, simply buying a condo in the new development wasn’t a big deal.
The mayor is apologizing for giving out his office number for perceived campaigning purposes on his radio show over the weekend. Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Paul’s) spoke up, saying Mayor Rob Ford was violating the City’s code of ethics about using his office resources to campaign. And so the mayor called Matlow to apologize. On the other hand, Ford’s brother and co-host, Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North), didn’t apologize so much, as he seemed to think that hosting a show means he now owns the radio station it’s aired on. Oh, Doug.
And, some news you can use: what to do in the event of a goose attack.