In my opinion, everything done by the city should be essential. If it’s not essential then it should be contracted out.

The public “service” gravy train needs to stop.

If it’s not essential why is it being done at all?

If it’s not essential then strike action has no teeth. Nobody is inconvenienced, nobody will care.

Okay you folks examples of each.

Posted by: Dragonmaster on December 4 2013 8:50 AM
If it’s not essential why is it being done at all?

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If things like maintaining the parks were not done the city would be even uglier than it already is.

However, landscaping is not an essential service and should be contracted out. Same with running the zambonis at the arenas or sweeping the floors at the arenas. They’re not essential services and should be contracted out. Etc., etc., etc….

Some services aren’t cut and dry though, such as garbage collection. It’s essential that we dispose of our household garbage but is it really something that needs to be done by the city?

Wish I could opt out of the garbage pickup scheme. I could use the money I save to help pay my future hydro increases. I asked if I could opt out. They said it’s in the bylaws. Bylaws etched in stone? Freedom of Association in the C. of R. useful?

I don’t think garbage pick up is an essential service. Essential would be water, sewer, emergency services (fire, police) and snow removal.

Essential services is like a baseball strike, everyone has thier opinion but its not a strike till the ump calls it a strike. Nothing is essential until the Labour Relations Board says it is.

I’d be curiuos if they can mandate the specific type of service eg if snow removal is essential is the crearing of our driveways essential or just a convenience. Or could they wait till 6 inches falls instead of 2.

doogood “I don’t think garbage pick up is an essential service. Essential would be water, sewer, emergency services (fire, police) and snow removal.”

Then how about you convincing that to city hall? Then I and others in my neighbourhood can pay half the taxes?

We do not get essential services such as water, sewer, or snow removal…

All we get is garbage pick up LOL

Sorry that is not true,, we do see police in the neighbourhood twice a year and thank goodness we do not see the fire department.

axman- NO ONE on this site is as Clearly anti city than you my good man!! EVERY answer you have for ANY issue at City hall is “Contract it Out!” I’m gonna take a guess that you have a dog in this fight, IE You have some interest in getting city contracts….otherwise your “CONTRACT IT OUT” or nothing mentality is rather ridiculous with little intelligence or thought behind it. If you did even a teeny bit of homework you would discover that when municipalities contract out, it almost always end in poorer services for your tax dollar, and in some cases utter disaster.

knowledge: “I’m gonna take a guess that you have a dog in this fight”

I can’t speak for axman, but I definitely have a dog in this fight. My tax dollars.

Contracted out, locked out, on strike …. either way; that’s 519 workers who are no longer receiving a pay cheque. That means those 519 are not getting their hair cut, not buying clothes, not buying furniture or appliances, not going out for dinner, movies, not buying Tim’s or Starbuck’s. Can’t afford to buy gas let alone buy a new(er) vehicle, can’t afford the insurance on their car, house. Can’t take their kids skating, swimming, to gymnastics, etc. etc. etc.
Amazing to some of you, those 519 staff members are also tax payers and have just as must vested interest in this city as some of you who bash them on this site. Regardless of your opinion of city workers, that’s a lot of people plus their kids and spouses that can no longer afford to put money into our mom and pop shops, and our local businesses that count on ALL of us for support in order to keep THEM in business.
Easy to say get rid of them, but the fall out is bigger than just contracting them all out.