With his political foes ratcheting up the pressure, Mayor David Miller yesterday called councillors to a meeting at City Hall today for an update on talks with civic workers who have now been on strike for 17 days.
But Mr. Miller again refused demands to consider a belated pay freeze for councillors — despite opponents charging council’s 2.42% cost-of-living increase undermines the city’s bargaining position.
“Councillors in Toronto are paid far less than councillors in Mississauga for example, $30,000 less. What they did several years ago as a signal to everybody is just take cost of living. That’s all they do. And that was less than unions.”
Mr. Miller did, however, convene a sitting of the employee and labour relations committee, which he chairs and which gives city negotiators their marching orders. News came just as his opponents were complaining they are being “kept in the dark” about developments at the bargaining table.
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Stuart Green, a spokesman for the Mayor, dropped into a press conference held by the Responsible Government Group to tell reporters that the meeting had already been set by the clerk’s office for 3 p. m. today.
“That’s good news that the Mayor has responded to our request,” quipped Case Ootes (Toronto Danforth), at the apparent attempt at oneupmanship.
This strike is now longer than the 2002 walkout, and the Mayor’s critics have been ramping up attempts to capitalize on questions about his leadership.
Some say Mr. Miller at first showed too much sympathy for striking unions and not enough empathy for inconvenienced Torontonians.
Cliff Jenkins (Don Valley West) and Frances Nunziata (York South Weston), who sit on the labour relations committee, said they have received no detailed update on negotiations since June 11 — some 10 days before 24,000 indoor and 6,000 outdoor workers walked off the job.
“The Mayor is constantly saying that he’s taking direction from council. Well there is no direction from council because we haven’t even had a meeting,” said Ms. Nunziata.
After being told to stay close to a cellphone that never rang, Mr. Jenkins said the role of council has been usurped in the strike.
“It’s clear that the Mayor has the up-to-date information on the negotiations. It’s clear that his staff has that information. It’s clear that senior city staff have that information,” he said. “Who doesn’t have that information are the rest of the members of city council, the people that are supposed to represent the people of Toronto.”
The Mayor indicated that after the briefing today from negotiators, the committee will be asked to stay the course.
“They have a very clear mandate, a mandate that I’m happy with,” he said.
“Maybe a little nuance here and there. But in broad brush our position is pretty straightforward. The contract has to be fair to the workers, because we value public services, but it has to be affordable to the city. That position won’t change.”
ahanes@nationalpost.com
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