This book would not have been possible without the support of many hands. I would like to thank Mark Thomas, Justin Paulson, Julia Barnett and Bryan Evans for sharing their keen insights, knowledge and support. I also want to thank Greg Albo and Sam Gindin for urging me to put pen to paper. I was a civic worker through the 2009 strike, and their visits to the picket lines and support rallies were a source of inspiration and encouragement. Greg and Sam carefully read numerous versions of articles and were always willing to share their encyclopedic breadth of information and experience. This book is dedicated to them. I also want to thank Wayne Antony for his immediate support of this project and sharp editorial eye. It is all the better for it. Many thanks to the friends, family and colleagues who offered their thoughts and advice on this project over the years. While too numerous to name, they all left a lasting influence on me and the ideas found here. Insightful comments by two anonymous reviewers significantly improved the arguments contained here. Needless to say, all of the opinions and views expressed here are the sole responsibility of the author. Finally, a special thank you to my parents and Samantha Wilson for their endless support and enthusiasm throughout.
Some of these chapters got their start as articles. This includes: “Neoliberal Urbanism and the Assault Against Public Services and Workers in Toronto, 2006–2011,” published in Articulo: Journal of Urban Research; “Toronto Civic Workers Bargaining Without a Base: The Significance of 2012,” in Studies in Social Justice; and “Under Pressure: How Public Policy is Constraining Ontario Municipalities” published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ontario. They have all been thoroughly revised, re-written and expanded in the chapters that follow. To my former colleagues at the City of Toronto and in Canadian Union of Public Employees Locals 79 and 416: It is often said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. This book was written in the spirit of workers making their own history.