Stinky Strike...

So, the City of Toronto is on strike. Apparently, they employees think it unfair that they might not get to keep all of their EIGHTEEN sick days a year, and they won't be able to BANK THEM ALL and CASH THEM IN WHEN THEY RETIRE! It seems to me that they are asking to keep benefits that are entirely unrealistic.

I've not met a single person yet who holds sympathy with the strikers. Here's why:

Garbage collection is on strike. No garbage collection + summer heat = stinky houses. All city trash cans and recycling bins in the streets are closed. Nowhere to put your trash + summer heat = stinky city.

City buildings are all closed while the strike is on. This includes city run summer daycare - so parents that need to work are stuck trying to find a solution. It also includes other kids and youth programs that are normally designed to keep kids out of trouble during the holidays.

All the pools are closed. The Toronto summer temperatures are regularly at about 30 degrees celcius. But nobody can go for a swim in the pools, because the staff are on strike. The pools had all been filled in preparation for the summer, but then the staff went on strike, so they were all emptied. All the water was wasted. And it will take 2 weeks from the end of the strike to fill them again.

The city run homeless shelters are mostly closed. There are people in this city that have been trying to get their lives back on track by finding a place to live in a shelter. They have been forced to move out. Now they're in the already overcrowded private shelters (like the Salvation Army shelters). They've lost their homes, and are effectively back on the streets.

All parks are technically closed. This means that all permits for events in the parks are cancelled. If you've planned some sort of special event or meeting in one of these parks, you can't do it now. When the strike ends, money paid for permits will be refunded, but I bet the city won't pay for all the stuff that people have bought/rented for these events and now have no use for.

All wedding chambers except the central location are closed. No matter if you've been planning your wedding for months, invited people, bought the dress, paid for the food, booked a reception hall, planned and paid for your honeymoon. If you have been planning to get married in a civil ceremony at the wedding chambers in York, Scarborough or East York, your wedding is now cancelled. Sorry!

This strike stinks. The city stinks of garbage. Kids have nothing to do. Parents are forced to pay more than they can afford to get daycare. People are left out of pocket. Homeless people are back on the streets. Weddings are cancelled. It stinks. I think it's selfish and greedy. And I think most people agree with me(check out the image).

Anyone want to do something about it? Any ideas?