How Much Strike Pay Do Councillors Get.....

Councillors staying away

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF AND ROB LAMBERTI

Citing the ongoing strike by civic workers, the city has cancelled its July 6-7 council meeting.

Unlike a special meeting of council last week that dealt only with the Bombardier streetcar deal, the average council meeting considers hundreds of items and requires unionized staff to operate the facility, print and distribute council materials and provide information technology and audio visual services, a news release issued by the city yesterday says.

"Also, a large complement of senior managers are required to be present and answer questions posed at council," the release says. "Non-union staff have been redeployed to maintain critical services."

Councillor Rob Ford wasn't buying the official statement, noting council continued to meet during the strike of 2002 under then mayor Mel Lastman. This time around, politically left-leaning councillors are refusing to cross picket lines for ideological reasons, Ford said. "The offices at city hall are dark ... I saw (Councillor) Doug Holyday today and that was it," Ford said.

Ford argues councillors shouldn't be taking home $2,400 every two weeks if they refuse to show up for work.