Public Sector Unions “Jobs For Life”

Liberalman

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Mar 18, 2007
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Public Sector Unions “Jobs For Life”


http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/08/toronto-aims-to-strip-employment-security-in-contract-negotiations-union-president/


Toronto is ready to lock out city union workers because of their insistence on keeping their “Employment Security” clause in their contract starting in January 2012.

Employment security means that if a city worker’s job disappears the city has to put the worker in another position within the city government.

In order for Toronto’s Mayor Ford to save millions of dollars in tax spending he wants to contract out a larger portion of city services and he cannot do this with the security clause in the union contacts.

Mayor Ford has issued an ultimatum that if the city unions won’t agree to take the employment security clause out of their contracts negotiations will stop and a citywide lock out will be triggered.

Because of the economic turmoil the private sector jobs are disappearing because more people are saving their money and not spending as much and is it time for the public sector unions to feel that same pain.

Contracting out services does not save the taxpayer any more money and they have to put up with less services so to the taxpayer they will be paying more for less.

Is it time for Public sector unions to suck it up and suffer like the rest of us or should they fight for what they have won in the past.

Seems only public sector unions can enjoy jobs for life.

What do you think?

 
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CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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Good for Ford.

It's about time someone pried the golden spoon from these simple servant union leaches mouths.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
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I don't know much about this Ford, as I neither live in Toronto or follow it's
politics, but I get the impression that he's between a rock & a hard place.
Belt tightening (financially) is never fun. I do recognize the flow of the
speach in the O.P. though as a "Want my cake & to eat it too" sort'a
thing, and that's a tough nut to crack when it comes down to a choice
(or lack there of) between cuts, increased taxes, or most likely both.

This Ford has to make some unpopular choices to balance a budget, &
I'm assuming that balancing an inherited budget might be why he was
elected in the first place. Just some guesswork....
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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I don't know much about this Ford, as I neither live in Toronto or follow it's
politics, but I get the impression that he's between a rock & a hard place.
Belt tightening (financially) is never fun. I do recognize the flow of the
speach in the O.P. though as a "Want my cake & to eat it too" sort'a
thing, and that's a tough nut to crack when it comes down to a choice
(or lack there of) between cuts, increased taxes, or most likely both.

This Ford has to make some unpopular choices to balance a budget, &
I'm assuming that balancing an inherited budget might be why he was
elected in the first place. Just some guesswork....

The very first question one needs to ask is what percentage of the city budget is spent on workers wages and is it realistic to make the cuts there as that would have the most direct affect on services.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
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47%

http://www.bot.com/publications/The_Growing_Chasm_Forecast_Toronto_Finances.pdf

And of course it realistic to make cuts there. The public servants on the Cities payroll are over paid and under worked.


I skimmed & only made it through page 10.



I wonder what %'age the planned cuts will bite out'a that 47%?
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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I skimmed & only made it through page 10.

I wonder what %'age the planned cuts will bite out'a that 47%?
I do too.

The best move to start with, is waste management.

Turtle Island Waste Management does a far more efficient job than the union leaches in Tdot.

They are a constant lower bid. Beating out Millers, La Rue's, and several other companies with fleets of curbside recycling/waste pickup vehicles.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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And of course it realistic to make cuts there. The public servants on the Cities payroll are over paid and under worked.

Why the about face. Just a few days ago you were defending police officers for the thankless job they do and now they are over paid and under worked.

I wonder what %'age the planned cuts will bite out'a that 47%?

I'm familiar with utilities and the proposed budget for wages and benefits is within 0.5% of last years. The interesting thing is that it doesn't break it down between union and non-union (worker and admin). I wonder what % that would be if factored in.
 

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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Why the about face. Just a few days ago you were defending police officers for the thankless job they do and now they are over paid and under worked.
Is that a question or a statement?

Given your atrocious spelling and grammar, it's hard to tell some times.
 
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Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,833
7,780
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Why the about face. Just a few days ago you were defending police officers for the thankless job they do and now they are over paid and under worked.



I'm familiar with utilities and the proposed budget for wages and benefits is within 0.5% of last years. The interesting thing is that it doesn't break it down between union and non-union (worker and admin). I wonder what % that would be if factored in.

I wonder if this Ford is planning of axing out both union and non-union (worker and admin)
positions to balance this budget? Along with public service cuts (garbage pick-up once a
week instead of twice, less libraries, etc...) and I'm assuming tax increases...
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
22,833
7,780
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Guy's I'm most likely the worst offender in the spelling & grammar department
on this forum (being Dyslexic & somewhat distracted both much of the time).
Let's please take this back onto the topic in the O.P. and leave the side-track
alone.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
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48
Alberta
I wonder if this Ford is planning of axing out both union and non-union (worker and admin)
positions to balance this budget? Along with public service cuts (garbage pick-up once a
week instead of twice, less libraries, etc...) and I'm assuming tax increases...

If history is any indication, front line workers usually get the brunt of it and I assume that the front line workers in TO are all union people. Cuts should be made where they have the least affect on service and that is usually at the top. I wonder what a TO councilor makes. In Houston, Texas (the third largest city in the US) they make a dollar a year. Do you think Ford will follow their lead?
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
43,839
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Ontario
Guy's I'm most likely the worst offender in the spelling & grammar department
on this forum (being Dyslexic & somewhat distracted both much of the time).
You don't think you're somehow superior to anyone else.

A defining factor.

Oft lost on union leaches.

 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
99
48
Alberta
Guy's I'm most likely the worst offender in the spelling & grammar department
on this forum (being Dyslexic & somewhat distracted both much of the time).
Let's please take this back onto the topic in the O.P. and leave the side-track
alone.


No argument from me. I don't tend to worry about that stuff and feel it is just a means of distraction.