Garbage strikes are annoying. Striking city workers raise hackles. But there’s one sure-fire way to make all of this worse: by illegally dumping garbage all over the city.
What, is the veneer of civilization so thin that the moment our precious amenities are removed, we begin to fling our trash gleefully into the street? It’s probably worth remembering that for the vast majority of human history, people have done without curbside garbage removal, enclosed sewers or even a proper understanding of the germ theory of disease. These folks managed to come up with a bunch of keen things like, you know, the Renaissance, science, and industy. So I think we can probably deal with a garbage strike without devolving into shrieking, trash-covered chimps.
There are probably a few folks out there that think illegal dumping is some sort of political statement, a way to say “screw you for screwing up my municipal services.” Trouble is, the only people you screw over by dumping your trash are your fellow citizens. They’re in the same boat you are, so why are you making their Garbage Strike even more inconvenient and disgusting?
Grow up. Hang on to your trash as long as you can, then drive it to a transfer station. It ain’t convenient, but it’s a nice way to demonstrate that supposed evolutionary superiority we’re always on about.
To be fair, it would be lot easier for people to take their garbage to the transfer stations if they weren’t being barred access by picket lines. Perhaps the union could apply a bit more class to their end of the strike as well.
At the very least, if you must dump it illegally, take it to a dump site and drop it on the picket line.
Perhaps a political statement would be to drop your trash at CUPE 416 Headquarters?
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=110+Laird+Drive,+toronto&fb=1&split=1&gl=ca&cid=0,0,17096343639237360590&ei=k_hASoZlk74y16700Ag&ll=43.710401,-79.36105&spn=0.005925,0.013819&t=h&z=16
If you want to be uber-keen, organize a garbage run for your block. Good way to meet your neighbours, too!
For those suggesting dumping at CUPE headquarters or picket lines (assuming the line has let you through to an approved dumping site) – not sure that really meets Graeme’s point. The workers are striking, which is their right. Whether or not you agree with them, leaving garbage on what is effectively their lawn seems like as mature a way of dealing with conflict as prank phone calling or flaming bags of poop.
people should use this stinky opportunity to reasses how they comsume, shop and deal with their garbage. If you are buying bulky things at stores leave them the packaging, buy bulk, buy low packaging. Don’t waste the food you buy, home compost everything you can and only toss the meat products and that can’t go in your back yard bin.
You’ll then only have a small stinkypile you could toss in a freezer until service is resumed or package and mail to the nearest councilor or cupe member depending on your stance on the contract demands.
i don’t really understand the picket line limitations at drop off sites. I think the unions should just let people go to these stations. It’s already enough of an inconvenience to truck your garbage miles from your home. You get a sense of the value of garbage collection when you have to do it yourself. To get there and then face picketing seems to just double up on the inconvenience.
Moreover, the strike has been on for less than 48 hours. Garbage wasn’t going to be picked up on Sunday anyway. There’s no reason anyone should have a garbage problem at this point.
The reports I’ve read indicate that barred access at Transfer points in an intermittent problem, and is not an official CUPE tactic. That said, when and where it happens, that’s a big problem.
Navigating this strike is about understanding the lines of connection. For us, it’s about recognizing our responsibility to our neighbours while enforcing the City’s accountability to us as taxpayers. For the City, their responsibility is to us, not the union. They have a responsibility to bargain in good faith and resolve the strike is a sustainable way. And the union is accountable to their members. But their beef is with the City, not the citizens. So additional pressure tactics on residents is both ethically and strategically unsound.
But if you do get blocked at a transfer point…don’t leave your trash outside. It’s a $380 fine, and bylaw officers are on site.
What was really nice was having garbage illegally dumped into my recycling bin last week… the week before the garbage strike:
http://torontorants.blogspot.com/2009/06/garbage-week.html
Gotta love jerks.
Green Assassin Brigade – Not everyone in TO has space to compost (like a lawn or backyard) and OMG, how big is your freezer?
@ Mike Beltzner
If I had the time and patience to prank call or drop flaming bags of poop on the picket line, I would do that too.
I can see the frustration of city workers…worried they won’t see their annual raise for inflation, afraid of coming to retirement age and finding themselves without benefits, meanwhile you’re providing a service that benefits the public. I think back to how I felt when my salary was frozen this year. And how my friends and family felt when they were laid off, took pay cuts or contracts weren’t extended.
Would we have felt better if a union were available through which to negotiate or reject these cuts? Maybe. Though of course the money would have to be there in the first place – otherwise you may win the battle (raises, benefits…) but lose the war (bankruptcy).
It’s harder though for a city to go bankrupt, as they tend to have recourse to additional funds.
At any rate I laud those who are looking at this as an opportunity to limit the amount of garbage one produces and practice civility. I liked one individual’s comment that perhaps the best way to respond is not to respond at all.
And I appreciate the need for employees to have legitimate means to stand up against legitimate grievances where minimum wages aren’t being paid, employees are overworked, human rights are being abused, gender equality is compromised…though am I the only one who is still thinks that sick leave is meant for when you’re actually sick?
I’m writing from down near Windsor where the strike has already lasted 2 months. So here’s hoping for a little class (not to mention civility and common sense) on all sides.
I had a nice little flip out about this in a comment on blogTO. Won’t retype it here, but needless to say that it’s barely been 24 hours: Grow up and hold onto your shit for a little while.
To be fair, the people who didn’t have their garbage picked up on Monday have had their garbage piling up for 2 weeks, that’s the way the system works in Toronto.
Illegally dumping is ridiculous but, in my mind, it’s no better or worse than blocking access to the Transfer points (Either way we end up with the same problem, garbage everywhere).
Nobody should be doing either, but while access to the transfer points is blocked/and or inconvenienced people will get angry at having no solution and will probably dump their garbage (which they shouldnt do). So, to me, the strikers are just as much to blame for the dumped garbage.
Finally, I’ll say this… if garbage is dumped all over the place then it benefits the union. The city becomes more unlivable and there’s more pressure on the City to get a deal done. So, call me pessimistic, but I think this is an official ‘unofficial’ tacitc by CUPE to block the transfer points. And whether or not it is official, unless CUPE goes to lengths to make sure it doesn’t happen then I go to Graeme’s point of it being pretty unethical and certainly not bargaining in good faith.