It's not going to happen tomorrow but just the fact that it could take place at all is a cause for concern - Toronto could be going through yet another garbage collectors' strike, right in the heart of the summer.
That scenario came a step closer on Wednesday night when members of
CUPE Local 416 voted 89 per cent in favour of strike action if they can't reach an agreement with the city.
"If we actually do walk out, or we are locked out, I'd love for the supervisors to do my job for a week or two," said city worker Shawn Wood. "They'll actually see first-hand what they're getting for their money."
The union, sometimes referred to as the "outside workers," represents more than 6,000 employees, including paramedics, road maintenance crews and animal control officers.
But it's those who collect your garbage and recycling every other week in the city that give the collective their biggest bargaining chip.
"The City of Toronto wants a negotiated settlement at the bargaining table because we know that that's the best kind of agreement that we should have," assures city spokesperson Kevin Sach.
The main issues are city demands for concessions on key issues like seniority and sick leave, with the union insisting councillors are simply using the recession as an excuse to take away past gains.
They also want at least the same roughly three per cent wage hike given to some of their city counterparts. And they note those in charge have no right to cite money concerns - councillors recently
refused to debate their own scheduled pay hike, allowing a 2.4 per cent raise to sail through, despite demands they set an example for others.
The union is still talking but the strike vote has let the city know they mean business. "We will be going back to the table with a clear message from the membership," notes Local 416 President Mark Ferguson in a statement. "The city must take its 118 pages of concessions off the table."
Negotiations continue with a provincially appointed arbitrator. Either side can ask for a 'no board report' at any time if they feel progress isn't being made. That sets the timetable for a strike or a lockout, which can start 17 days later.
If the workers walk, it will provide an unwelcome déjà vu for many in Toronto. The 2002 stoppage seemed long and bitter, starting on June 26 and lasting until mid-July. What happened during that time led to scenes no one wants to experience again.
Pools were closed during a scorching summer, despite pleas from then-Mayor Mel Lastman to open them up for the sake of the kids.
And garbage was everywhere, piling up at specially selected depots and leading to some illegal and often ludicrous behaviour by residents desperate to dump their smelly trash, which baked in the heat.
Many people began illegally dumping their bags in parks, with
CityNews cameras catching people in the act, only to have them deny it.
Others simply left their refuse on main streets and let someone else worry about it. Alleyways were filled with discarded green garbage bags and there were real fears about an exploding vermin population.
And in one famous incident caught on tape downtown, strikers and some truckers clashed when the independent haulers tried to pick up trash from a building. The union members began physically throwing the bags out of the vehicle, with the contractors continually tossing them back, amid threatening shouts from both sides.
The strike didn't end until the workers were legislated back in July, with the union claiming it was only resolved by Queen's Park because of World Youth Day and the scheduled arrival of Pope John Paul II the following week.
As if the pressure to avoid that summer rerun isn't enough, there's more. The city's "inside workers" union,
CUPE Local 79, is also in negotiation with the city. They plan to take a strike vote of their own this Sunday.
And if all that is enough to drive you to drink, be aware you may not be able to.
OPSEU members at the LCBO also have a strike vote going. Their main issue is the rising number of part time or casual workers that are taking the place of full time employees.
While the Liquor Control Board says it's optimistic a deal can be reached, the results of whether the union's 7,000 members will actually opt for any job action won't be known until Saturday.