Negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have gone nowhere and the City of Toronto has asked the Ministry of Labour for a so-called “No Board” report which starts a clock (of sorts) ticking towards a strike. No stoppage is inevitable but it places the employer and union in the position to either lock out or strike within 17 days of the report being issued. Indoor (local 79) and outdoor (local 416) are the employees in question. The City release is all very constructive about how this will help get a settlement but the fact remains that things are stalled. Will we see a Springtime garbage strike? It will make municipal history if we do, considering that half of Toronto will be trying to clean up uncollected refuse while the other half has its garbage smoothly taken away by a private contractor.