Toronto Mayor John Tory is facing opposition to his plan to privatize Toronto’s garbage collection in the areas east of Yonge Street.
In a report released Tuesday, city staff recommended that the city not privatize garbage collection in Toronto’s east end, despite Tory’s promise to do so during his election campaign.
Garbage collection west of Yonge Street has been privatized since 2010, saving taxpayers approximately $11 million per year.
Since private collection began in the west end, unionized workers have become increasingly competitive east of Yonge, the report said, adding the competition “is effective in terms of costs and performance.”
But many local politicians are unhappy with the report, saying that it gets in the way of the city’s goal to provide the best services at the lowest price.
“We’ve been saving $11 million annually privatizing garbage west of Yonge and it’s has been very effective,” said Jaye Robinson who heads the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. “I don’t know why we can’t roll that out east of Yonge and save additional funds.”
The city and CUPE 416, the union representing garbage collection workers, are about to begin negotiations which could significantly alter the cost of public waste collection.
Former mayor Rob Ford said the issue ultimately comes down to Tory’s political will and accused him of not wanting to take on the unions.
“I was in the exact position he is,” said Ford, who was the one to make the decision to privatize garbage collection west of Yonge Street. “If John says ‘Do it,’ it’ll be done.”
Tory refused to comment on the report, but his staff said the mayor would like to get costing estimates from the private sector before abandoning the possibility of privatizing garbage collection in the city’s eastern half.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney
