Hotel workers consider strike option as city prepares for G20

The possibility of 5,500 hotel workers being on strike during the G20 summit rests on the results of strike authorization votes being held at hotels across the city.

The results of the voting, which is taking place at 32 hotels across the city, will be announced later this week.

If the vote passes, it means the workers are willing to go on strike in the event of a breakdown in negotiations.

“There have been a lot of cuts to both shifts and services that are really having an impact on both workers and hotel guests,” said Cicely Phillips, a Royal York room attendant and vice-president of Unite Here Local 75.

The hotels include the Fairmont Royal York, Le Royal Meridien King Edward and the Hyatt Regency.

The summit will be in Toronto on June 26-27.

1,100 private guards to work G8 and G20 security. And they're hiring...

There are some jobs police won’t do at the upcoming G8 and G20 summits, and for that there will be 1,100 security guards provided by a private security firm.

Contemporary Security Canada has posted job openings for security screeners, who will be using metal detectors to vet people going into the security perimeters in Toronto and Huntsville.

Guards are expected to work 80 to 120 hours from June 15 to June 28.

“They’re going to be an augmentation to the security staff,” said Sgt. Michele Paradis of the summits’ Integrated Security Unit.

None of the private guards will be carrying weapons and they will always be working alongside police officers, Paradis said.

Details of the guards specific tasks haven’t been released yet, but the guards will mainly be used as screeners at checkpoints, entrance gates and other busy locations, she said.

“It’s much the same way (private guards) were used at the Olympics,” she said.

In fact, CSC was in charge of 90 per cent of the security screening staff at the Vancouver Olympics, who x-rayed bags and performed security checks as spectators entered the venues.

The firm received 11,236 applications for the Olympic gig and many of the 5,000 jobs went to students, First Nations and retired police and military personnel.

All staff hired to work the summits must have an Ontario Security Guard licence and pass mandatory training, the CSC job posting said.

The full-time gig pays $20-24 an hour and accommodation, transportation, uniforms and most meals will be provided.

The company is holding interviews at the Humber College School of Creative and Performing Arts from now until June 7.

G20 info: coming to a mailbox near you

 

Some G20 info will soon be landing in your mailbox.

"Our Toronto" -- the City of Toronto's official newsletter -- is currently en route to mailboxes around the city and will highlight information about the upcoming G20 summit, including the traffic and security map released by summit organizers last week. The newsletters are expected to begin arriving at houses this week.

In a press release today, the city also announced its new online information hub for all things G20-related -- click and bookmark here: http://www.toronto.ca/g20

And here's a link to the city's website for traffic restrictions: www.toronto.ca/torontostreets/index.htm and to a list of city services and programs affected by the summit: www.toronto.ca/G20/services-affected.htm

U.S. security expert criticizes G8/G20 spending

Canadians aren't the only ones criticizing the $1 billion security price tag for the G8 and G20 summits this June.

Bruce Schneier is a security technologist who has written several books on security issues and is frequently quoted by international media.

On his blog today, he describes the $1 billion sum as "crazy" and says "there simply isn't any justification for this kind of spending."

Quoting an article from the Globe and Mail, Schneier writes:

Amazing:

The Canadian government disclosed Tuesday that the total price tag to police the elite Group of Eight meeting in Muskoka, as well as the bigger-tent Group of 20 summit starting a day later in downtown Toronto, has already climbed to more than $833-million. It said it’s preparing to spend up to $930-million for the three days of meetings that start June 25.

That price tag is more than 20 times the total reported cost for the April, 2009, G20 summit in Britain, with the government estimating a cost of $30-million, and seems much higher than security costs at previous summits ­ the Gleneagles G8 summit in Scotland, 2005, was reported to have spent $110-million on security, while the estimate for the 2008 G8 gathering in Japan was $381-million.

These numbers are crazy. There simply isn't any justification for this kind of spending.

By comparison, the estimated total cost of security for the 17-day 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was just over $898-million.

This, too. Think of all the actual security you can buy for that money.

A ton of "actual security," yes, but as Susan Delacourt wrote in Saturday's Star, $1 billion could also pay for improved health care in developing countries, tuition cuts for university students and 11,000 new construction jobs, just to name a few.

Finally, the G8 brings some fun

Obama, Harper, Merkel, let out a sigh of relief. It’s Berlusconi’s head that Bono and Co. want.

ONE — the organization that works with policy makers and activists to fight against poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa — has launched an online campaign demanding that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi be tossed out of the G8.

In fact, the group has a game on its website (titled Hurl Berl) that actually lets players use a muscular avatar to twirl and throw the 73-year-old politician, a la Olympic discus.

Why? The group says that since Berlusconi promised to increase aid to Africa in 2005, he’s actually cut it.

Play the game here.

Berlusconi fixes his tie after getting tossed 7476 metres by Star reporter Jesse McLean. Well, not really. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli /AFP/Getty Images

Keep U of T open, students and staff say

Student and staff organizations aren't pleased that U of T is being shut down during the summit.. Photo: Richard Lautens

University of Toronto students, staff and faculty are calling on the university to keep its St. George campus open during June’s G20 summit.

The decision to shutter the school’s doors from June 23 to 27 “contradicts the purpose of the university, reinforces harmful stereotypes of protesters, legitimizes police repression and violence,” student and staff organizations says in an open letter to the university heads.

The group says U of T, as an institution of higher learning, should encourage dialogue on the G8 and G20 and what the summits mean to “the future of planet.

“Instead, administrators are prohibiting access to the campus, stifling dialogue and fostering a climate of fear.

The letter also says: “The University did not consult students, staff, or faculty in making this decision. This decision places an unacceptable and unnecessary burden on students, instructors and researchers, forcing them to postpone their research, alter their course and exam schedules, and even abandon their homes.

As reported before, the summit is forcing about 600 students to relocate while the world players — and their accompanying security forces — are in town.

In an online essay criticizing the university's closure, Katie Mazer and Patrick Vitale note that the student dormitories are not just one of the largest source of affordable housing in the city, but “likely housing for many visiting protestors.”

The move to close the school was based on security concerns about safety, vice-provost students Jill Matus.

“We had a series of deliberations and in light of the fact that the protest site has effectively been moved to our doorstep on the St. George campus, we took the decision to restrict access,” Matus said last week. “We know that in past G20 summits, in particularly last year’s summit in Pittsburgh, protests may be associated with violence, arrests, disruptions, tear gas and damage to property.”

And you thought the students would be streaming down the halls, belting out adapted Alice Cooper lyrics. “Schooooool’s out for the summit.” *Queue blazing guitar lick*

Victims of G20 protest-related damage will be treated "fairly," Baird says. But does fairness come in bills?

Federal cabinet minister John Baird seemed to open the door to property owner who suffer protest-related damage during the G20 summit to receive compensation, but stopped short of promising any money.

“I understand people in Toronto have every right to expect that they’ll be treated fairly, as we have at other summits and we’ll ensure that’s done,” Baird said Friday.

The minister of transportation, infrastructure and communities didn’t explicitly say businesses will be compensated, suggesting such a promise would give “the green light to every hooligan that they’ll be an unlimited cash flow.”

“What I’m not going to say, is to give an invitation to every vandal, thug that they have an unlimited right to destroy downtown property. We’re going to put all of our focus on keeping the city and property safe and obviously we will treat the people of Toronto fairly as we have at other summits.”

Toronto Councillor Adam Vaughan, whose ward will host the summit, dismissed Baird’s comments.

“Until he says we’re covering costs, he is not covering costs. There is a funding formula and compensation for businesses that suffer damage isn’t it," he said.

On Thursday, Vaughan blasted Ottawa’s decision not to cover damage claims, calling it “absolutely unacceptable.”

 “They’re bringing this party to town. They know what accompanies this sort of event. For them to walk away from small businesses … is an absolute disgrace.”

People suffering damage should look to their insurer, according to a memo from the federal government’s Summits Management Office.

Mayor David Miller added concern for local hot dog vendors, some of whom will be moved for the summit.

Those who have to relocate should be compensated, he said, but added that the businesses have to negotiate that with the feds.

— With files from David Rider

Beer summit, redux?

Where Obama can hide out with a cold pint this June, should Sarkozy get on his nerves. Photo: Ashley Hutcheson

The folks at the Steam Whistle Brewery say they would love to invite Barack Obama over for a cold pint between meetings at this June.

"If Obama wants to come and visit and try Canada’s premium pilsner, we're very interested in having him," said a playful Greg Taylor, co-founder of Steam Whistle. "Apparently, he likes beer."

The Steam Whistle Brewery is located at the John St. Roundhouse, within a stone's throw of the Metro Convention Centre where the G20 will be held this June.

But if Obama does stop by for a sip, he would probably be the only visitor to the brewery that weekend.

Taylor says Steam Whistle has been told they'll fall inside the red zone which means no tourists or visitors from June 26-27 -- he estimates this could translate to a loss of about $17,000, plus an additional added expense of $12,000 for having to relocate his beer distributor to Etobicoke.

"We typically would probably see 2,000 people over that weekend as far as customers," Taylor said. "It's really going to be one of the busiest summer weekends."

While the federal government won't compensate business owners whose properties are damaged by protesters, Taylor remains hopeful Steam Whistle will be recouped for any losses stemming from the summit.

"If we’re setting up a G20 economic summit, then those who run a business in the area will be compensated -- that’s what we would hope," Taylor said.

He said his entire Steam Whistle staff (about 130 people) and fresh water supplier will all get accreditation to access the red zone but during the actual summit weekend, only a skeleton crew will be on hand to keep the malt mixing and the wort boiling.

Taylor has also made arrangements to ensure his beer will still make it to the shelves of your local Beer Store or LCBO. So, everybody relax already.

Protest zones ain't a bazaar. ISU says to keep the booths at home

Keep the tables at home, protestors. At least that’s what one activist has been told by G20 security officials.

Toronto lawyer Bryant Greenbaum had hoped to set up a booth in both Huntsville and Toronto to hand out brochures and other information regarding TSX listing mining companies in Africa.

But in an e-mail exchange, an Integrated Security Unit official told him that officers won’t be allowing any tables in the designated protest zones.

“Surely I can not fully exercise my rights to freedom of expression and assembly if I must stand or sit on the grass holding on to documents and laptops with my spare hands,” Greenbaum said in an e-mail.

G20 + TTC = regular(ish) scheduled service. We hope.

The TTC has issued a press release about how public transportation will be affected during the G20 summit. With the exception of some minor surface route diversions, the TTC promises to "operate as usual" (in other words: grumpily, expensively, and prone to delays? Just kidding @bradTTC).

Here are the details:

• All subway stations will remain open. The Queens Quay streetcar station will close from June 25-27
• TTC will operate regularly scheduled service with some minor surface route diversions
• 6 Bay, 72A Pape and 320 Yonge bus routes will be diverted during June 25-27
• Should any security concerns arise, TTC will alter service or routes as necessary. Service changes or diversions will be communicated as quickly as possible via ttc.ca, e-alerts, platform screens, Twitter and Facebook.
• On June 25 only, the 97B Yonge bus and 503 streetcar routes will be diverted (they do not operate on weekends)
• The 509 and 510 streetcars will be bypassing Queens Quay station, which will be closed from June 25-27
• The 504 King streetcar will run its regular service

Of course, as with everything else G20-related, all of this is subject to change.

Should protesters force streetcars or buses to a standstill,  routes may get diverted or people will be asked to safely disembark, says TTC spokesperson Brad Ross.

Ross said Wheel-Trans users will also be able to ride their usual buses into the yellow zone, or outer security perimeter, but should notify TTC and G20 summit officials just in case.