REJECT THE DEAL? COME ON, FOLKS!
No doubt we will learn to cope.
But the prospect of this infernal city strike riding into the New Year is infuriating.
Those of us with a few bucks in our jeans will call the private garbage haulers and pay to remove the stink and the bother.
But what about seniors who depend on their daily visit to the library? Kids and students who have Swim Club?
My heart is generally and in principle on the side of unions.
But I say to my union friends if you think job security is an attainable goal in the modern world, you've got to change your meds.
11 comments:
Hi David--I'm amused to hear that you have come (at least half way) around to my thinking.
You state "if you think job security is an attainable goal in the modern world, you've got to change your meds." Of course it is an attainable goal simply because any negotiated agreement does not depend on being realistic or having to conform to any current reality. Any public-sector agreement is enforced by the power of the state--which is outside the realm of reasonableness or reality.
David,
If you walk out in the UBC Endownment forest you'll find that several trails start from the same point and end at the same point, but take very different paths to get there.
So is the case with my views and your views about this situation.
Here we have a bunch of workers who have good wages and great benefits. Many in our city & province would jump at the chance to have things so good.
But they or their leaders have somehow convinced them that they're hard done by and should stay out as long as possible to get the guaranteed job-for-life security that they're wildly in search of.
Won't happen. Shouldn't happen. Can't happen. But they'll stay out ... forever (?) ... to attain the unattainable.
If this is indeed the case then wrong meds are only the first problem these folks have. As for the modern world, these folks clearly are not living in the same modern world that you and I are.
Robert
The only three jobs in our Society David in my opinion that have "job security" are garbage removal, Liquor Dispensing, and Funeral Homes. All the other jobs are dependent upon many outside forces. The three that I listed though, will never disappear as long as we roam the Earth!
Cheers
I hope to hell that the City workers get back to work this week.
This stupid strike has been way too long now and needs to end. I hope the workers know what's right and get back to work to serve the community and also start paying off some of those racked up bills!
If this continues, I would start to call for Mr. Sullivan's firing for being such an inept mayor. Where's leadership when you need it?
This strike has clearly shown that Sullivan is no leader. What he is an incredibly self-involved, delusional man with a rather large ego. His self-involvement and ego probably helped him achieve so much considering his physical limitations. However, his personal achievements still do not make him a good leader. I suspect he has his sights on being Premier somewhere down the line.
"I suspect he has his sights on being Premier somewhere down the line". Good Gawd, just shoot me.
YES, EXACTLY...THE IDEA THAT THIS FOOL WOULD WANT TO BE OR EVEN WORSE COULD BE PREMIER IS ENOUGH TO MOVE TO BRATISLAVA...
Just because the thought of Sullivan as Premier is enough to make one lose one's cookies, doesn't mean he hasn't contemplated the idea. It may not come to fruition, but I bet it's in his mind. Watch him in action, he's comletely full of himself.
Vander Zalm started as Alderman then Mayor of Surrey, need I say more?
The power of the unions is being tested in this small arena.
Just as, when the union movement got going, there were long and bitter strikes in the past, some involving 'scabs' and police enforcement -- I honestly expect this strike to be the same.
I truly have felt from the start that the overwhelming power of unions in BC was going to get its first real test with this strike.
As David has pointed out those with the means will contract privately for their garbage removal. Do not be surprised to see a coalition of downtown merchants setup such a system that would see major sections of the city cleaned by private contractors. This is something that the union power mongers are missing...the ability to re-write the monopoly that they have held until now.
I suspect that this strike is just the tip of the iceberg should either side win there will be consequences in the years to come elsewhere in the province.
For my part I really hope the provincial government stays out of the picture!
I understand that about half the striking union members have taken temporary jobs to help them through this strike. I've also heard speculation that a good percentage of these workers won't return to their union jobs once the strike is settled. If this is true, how ironic given that they are striking for job security. Also ironic that they are working jobs while on strike but yell bloody murder if someone danes to cross their picket line -- including targeting parents who just want to mow the soccer fields.
Both sides, union and city, are crazy.
Murdock and the last anonymous commenter hit the nail squarely on the head.
As for the rest, I'm no big fan of Sam Sullivan but to blame him for what has transpired and for the outside workers not going back even now, c'mon folks, assess blame where it's TRULY due. I'm still formulating my thoughts into a new blog post and a suggested solution to this mess.
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