Three years after the last strike by CUPE Local 416, we are facing another. Garbage collection could cease by midnight Sunday. It’s a sadness for everyone including the employees. But you may recall that it was the garbage strike of 2009 that irrevocably turned public opinion against former Mayor Miller. Ultimately he gave in to the union but it didn’t help him with the public. People felt they had been abandoned by the City. This time, if the strike drags on, an effort should be made to encourage freelance collection. In 2009, this activity was frowned upon. It’s not a perfect solution, There will be rogue operators and it will have to be policed. But many homeowners would be prepared to pay a nominal sum to have the garbage removed rather than pile it in a park.