Olivia Chow and other candidates for Toronto City Council and for the Toronto School Board are fully owned by unions

John Tory ~ in favour of saving another $11 million per year for Toronto citizens, even if it upsets the unions

The problem with Olivia Chow is that she’s against hiring out garbage collection to the private sector. More exactly the problem is the reason she’s against it.

As it stands, a private company collects the garbage on the west side of the city, while on the east side, city workers still collect the garbage. Giving the work to a private company on the west side is saving the city $11 million dollars a year. What’s more, service isn’t merely as good; it’s better.

Naturally (almost) everyone running for mayor wants to extend private garbage collection to the east side, too. John Tory and Doug Ford both consider the question a no-brainer. As far as I can tell so does every other mayoral candidate – except Olivia Chow.

Chow says she wants to encourage diversity in our garbage collection (whatever that means). Everyone knows it’s really because the city garbage collectors are unionized. And when it comes down to it, Chow sides with the unions – even if it’s against the interests of the people of Toronto.

I have nothing against unions. I’m a union member myself. But I want my mayor, my city councillors and my school board representatives to be on my side. I want them looking out for my tax dollars and making sure the city gets the best deal possible.

Unfortunately, Olivia Chow is not on my side. And I understand why. She believes in unions, and in return, the unions believe in her. What’s more, the unions show their support with money and manpower – and lots of it.

The unions have helped Chow immensely in every political battle she’s ever fought.

Chow isn’t the only would-be member of city council who sides with the unions more than with the people of Toronto. The Toronto and York Region Labour Council has provided a convenient list of would-be Toronto councillors and would-be school board representatives who they can rely on to always vote in favour of union positions and, if necessary, to vote against the interests of the people of Toronto.

If you want the city and the school board to pay millions more than necessary for worse work, then vote for the following candidates…

Union endorsed candidates for City Councillor:

Ward 1 (Etobicoke North): Idil Burale

Ward 2 (Etobicoke North):Andray Domise

Ward 6 (Etobicoke Lakeshore): Russ Ford

Ward 7 (York West): Keegan Henry-Mathieu

Ward 8 (York West): Anthony Perruzza

Ward 9 (York West): Maria Augimeri

Ward 12 (York South Weston): Lekan Olawoye

Ward 13 (Parkdale High Park): Sarah Doucette

Ward 14 (Parkdale High Park): Gord Perks

Ward 17 (Davenport): Alejandra Bravo

Ward 18 (Davenport): Ana Bailão

Ward 19 (Trinity Spadina):  Mike Layton

Ward 20 (Trinity Spadina): Joe Cressy

Ward 21 (St. Paul’s): Joe Mihevc

Ward 24 (Willowdale): Dan Fox

Ward 26 (Don Valley West): David Sparrow

Ward 27 (Toronto Centre Rosedale):  Kristyn Wong-Tam

Ward 28 (Toronto Centre Rosedale): Pam McConnell

Ward 29 (Toronto Daforth): Mary Fragedakis

Union endorsed candidates for the Toronto District School Board:

Ward 5 – York Centre: Howard Kaplan

Ward 7 – Parkdale High Park: Robin Pilkey

Ward 8 – Eglinton Lawrence: Jennifer Arp

Ward 10 Trinity Spadina: Ausma Malik

Ward 14 Toronto Centre Rosedale: Chris Moise

Ward 17 Don Valley East: Robert Cerjanec

Ward 18 Scarborough Southwest: Parthi Kandavel

Ward 20 Scarborough Agincourt: Manna Wong

Ward 21 Scarborough Rouge River: Shaun Chen

Ward 4 North York: Marina Laccona

Ward 5 North York: Maria Rizzo

Ward 12 Scarborough: Paulina Corpuz

Town of Georgina Ward 3: Dave Neeson