The Toronto Star has found that complaints about garbage pickup are much higher in the City-operated zone east of Yonge Street than they are in the area to the west, where a private contractor collects the trash. The Star apparently looked at 311 complaint calls to City Hall to find the information. It says that in the years since the complete privatization of collection services west of Yonge St. in August 2012, complaints concerning missed residential garbage, green bin, recycling and furniture pickups have declined by 10 per cent in the west. During the same period the number of complaints have risen by 29 per cent in the publicly serviced east. The Star goes on to provide interviews with east enders who say they are fed up with the CUPE unionized service employed in the east. Many recall Mayor Tory’s promise to privatize the east and his reversal for reasons that have never been very clear.
