Mayor David Miller says he has no idea how a rumour got started that the CNE grounds would be used as a temporary garbage dump.
"I checked this morning to make sure, because I had understood it was not on the list ... I got an email from the head of the CNE, Joe Pantalone, it is not on the list nor should it be," he said Monday, day 29 of the municipal strike.
"Exhibition Place is a money-making venture for the city, a multi-million-dollar place, and it's not the place where you'd do that."
But in Campbell Park, people wished Miller would feel that way about their neighbourhood.
Children are coming throughout the day to leave messages in chalk asking the mayor not to use the park as a dump.
They are saying things such as "I want my summer back" and "I want to play soccer."
The outdoor hockey rink became one of the three newest dump sites last Thursday. It is mere steps away from a children's swing set.
To this point, however, the city hasn't stopped the operation of any temporary dumps until those dumps have reached capacity.
Negotiations reportedly carried on through the weekend, but there has been no public statement by either the city of CUPE Locals 416 and 79, which represent outside and inside workers respectively, about the state of those negotiations. There will be no media briefing on Monday.
Miller said Friday he was annoyed at the slow pace of negotiations, which have been ongoing since the strike began on June 22.
The sticking points appear to be wages and the fate of the current sick day plan.
The union wants the same wage hikes as other civic workers got in recent settlements -- three per cent per year in each of a four-year deal.
In its public offer released July 10, the city offered a total of 7.2 per cent compounded over four years. LCBO workers, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, recently settled for 7.75 per cent over four years.
More contentious is the sick day plan. Union members can currently bank any of the 18 sick days per year they don't use and can get up to six month's pay upon retirement.
The city wants to end that practice and replace it with a short-term disability plan and a graduated payout for employees on the benefits they would have received under the old plan.
The unions rejected the city's offer.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Reshmi Nair
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