An ambulance abandoned outside City Hall with a union placard on its rear wheels and its lights flashing has left a paramedic labour leader with charges of taking auto without owners' consent and mischief.
After a two-week police investigation Glenn Fontaine, ambulance unit chair of Toronto Local 416 walked into 52 Division at Dundas St. and University Ave. last night where he turned himself in to police, a union spokesperson said
Fontaine, a Barrie resident was charged with two counts of take auto without consent and two counts of mischief interfere with property, after the ambulance was reported missing June 22, police said.
The ambulance with the flashing lights was found on the dark city street at 3 a.m., just three hours after the strike by Canadian Union of Public Employees Locals 416, representing some 6,200 outside workers and Local 79, representing 24,000 mostly inside workers walked out.
Fontaine, a Barrie resident was released from police custody under a promise to appear and will appear at Old City Hall for his first court appearance on August 11.
"Outside of who he is and what's going on right now, if it happened after this (the strike) it wouldn't make the news," said a police source. "No, its not really a (car) theft," said a source. "It's basically like your neighbour coming over, you allow them to borrow the car every now and then and he comes over a Friday night and takes your car without you knowing," said the source.
"The union has provided him (Fontaine) with legal counsel," CUPE spokesperson Pat Daley said last night.
Fontaine's union did not support his actions.
"We don't use or encourage members to use the employers tools at any time during a strike," said Daley who declined to comment on the allegations against Fontaine.
"He doesn't speak for the Union," added Daley, who was at an uptown Toronto hotel where strike negotiations were continuing.
Fontaine could not be reached for comment.
City spokesperson Kevin Sack, said the City is "not commenting in any manner whatsoever."
No one who works indoors needs a union
Your dues at work (suckers):
A Toronto labour leader who heads the Emergency Medical Services section of the city’s outside workers union has been charged with two counts of car theft and two counts of mischief following a bizarre incident that saw a stolen ambulance abandoned downtown in the middle of the night with a union poster taped to it and its emergency lights flashing.
# Kathy Shaidle
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