Looking for strike news? It’s all online
An in-paper review of some of Town Crier's coverage of strike 2009
Garbage isn’t being picked up, city-run daycares, camps and community centres are closed and students who had summer jobs with the municipal government are out of luck.
In order to keep our readers up-to-date on the daily changes of the strike, the Town Crier’s editorial staff has been doing coverage online since Day 1.
None of the dozens and dozens of stories we wrote appeared in our nine print editions. So for those who have not seen our strike exclusive online coverage, here is a snapshot of the articles we wrote.
Student Brian Gillett who normally works as a manager at the outdoor Leaside pool organized a July 10 protest at Queen’s Park asking the province and city to end the strike.
He told our reporter Josephine Lim, “I want to get back to work and start making money.”
Also on July 10, I reported Mayor David Miller publicly revealed the city’s latest offer to CUPE union locals 416 and 79. The proposal included a 7.2 percent pay hike over four years, a buyout of banked sick days and then a plan to switch to short-term sick leave program with no ability to bank sick days in the future.
The unions rejected the offer and Mark Ferguson president of CUPE local 416 told me, “We are disgusted the city would result to this strategy instead of bargaining (in private).”
I also covered how pro wrestling fans south of the border were wondering if a July 24–25 event at Ted Reeve Arena was still on. The local facility is home to a temporary garbage dump, but inside the show will go on as a city-appointed management board operates the arena.
As well, the city had suspended E.coli water testing at 11 designated beaches, but has now resumed it at five: Sunnyside, Cherry, Woodbine, Kew-Balmy and Bluffer’s Park, I reported July 7.
On July 3, I wrote that the city’s land use planning lawyers are all redeployed during the strike. And with some unionized government witnesses also on strike, the city is seeking postponements up upcoming Ontario Municipal Board hearings.
A very popular section of our online coverage is a map our reporter Philip Alves created of where all temporary neighbourhood dumps are located, see http://www.mytowncrier.ca/viewthread.php?tid=14721. As of July 13, there are 21 sites with two closed because they are at capacity.
Town Crier Journalist Karolyn Coorsh talked to residents who are far from pleased about living steps away from a dump at Herbert Carnegie Centennial Arena.
Rebecca Cohen told Coorsh, “It smells and it’s gross … It’s a garbage dump in our backyard.”
Want to know what kind of creatures are making a beeline for the rotting mess at these dumps? Reporter Brian Baker dishes the dirt on everything from wasps and cockroaches to raccoons, skunks and rats.
On June 25, reporter Alexandra Christopoulos wrote about the cancellation of city-run Canada Day event because of the strike.
Upon writing this as of July 13, the strike was not over so see our continuing online coverage at http://www.mytowncrier.ca/strike2009.
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