What's up with all the strikes lately?
- Thread starter mentalfloss
- Start date
Creating regulation that defines a legal strike also means that there is regulation that defines illegal strikes. Your idea would bring about more conflict at the worksite, a less resolutions in a meeting room. Also, look up RAND when you have time.
It was actually the Jazz pilots who were threatened with back to work legislation. Jazz is 100% privately owned and its only tie to Air Canada is its capacity purchase agreement. That being said, Air Canada and Jazz aren't the only available operators for carriage of mail or sensitive cargo. BTW, Purolator is owned by Canada Post, Kelowna Flightcraft does their flying, (they used to do FedEx, but that is now done by Max Ward's MorningStar, the work goes back and forth), and is also a union shop. The world will not stop if any one airline shuts down. I remember Air Canada's first, (and only, I think) pilot's strike. I actually walked the picket line with some of them, I worked for the blue team at the time and had already been locked out once and been on strike once. There was no mention of any group being threatened with back to work legislation at any time back then.
The last legal bargaining chip left to employees is suspension of services, or SOS. Working to rule is not a legal option in many cases because it can be deemed as insubordination leading to termination, legally. Not being legally allowed to withdraw services effectively neuters the collective bargaining power of the workers, leaving the employer holding all the aces.
A wise man once said, "I never knew a company that had a union that didn't deserve one". The unions are not always the bad guys, but yes, sometimes they are. Sometimes they have ludicrous demands, and sometimes they have exceeded their best before date. In the end though, it is much the same as in a court of law, we have our opinions, biases, and prejudice of what equates to justice. In court it is, (or supposed to be) a fight between the Crown and the defendant, we are disinterested parties. The same applies to collective bargaining, the fight is between the employer and employee, and we are disinterested parties, even if we have the misappropriated belief we have a stake in the outcome. Our inconvenience resulting from a labour dispute, that doesn't involve us, pales in comparison to the stakes involved with the real interested parties. I could not, with a clear conscience, advocate that a group be forced to take a 5 year concessionary contract full of dog turds so that I not be inconvenienced for a couple of weeks.
Arbitration is much like going before the judge, you don't know who you're going to get, (though "judge shopping is legal for defendants, not the Crown). Another wise man once said, "the worst negotiated settlement is still better than the best judgment." Problem is, I've seen some pretty bad arbitration decisions, and no one party enters into arbitration lightheartedly.
Unions have had little to no support in the US since Reagan, but are still a strong force. It is not government protection that makes them exist, although it does make their existance easier, it is worker exploitation that make them exist.
As Cranky alluded to, it is the Rand formula that makes Canadian unions unique. Justice Ivan Rand, of the SCC, handed down his judgment regarding the CAW strike in 1946. In essence, in a closed shop, the union is responsible for all employees, those who are members, and those who are not. To this day you can choose not to join the union in a closed shop but the employer must still deduct dues at source. You, though, can direct where those monies go, to the SPCA, or charity of your choice. The union must still represent you as if you were a member, the only thing denied is enrollment in union sponsored plans such as group life or disability insurance.
As an aside, I do not endorse most parties that support unions, nor do I support unions that donate to parties or causes. It is my money that goes to the union, but it is for union business only. Our union does not give union monies to causes or parties, but does solicit voluntary support for causes it deems worthy. Our union actively supports the Obama administration, (and the NDP, of course), I do not, primarily because this administration is in favour of the UN Small Arms Treaty, which will endevour to disarm all civilians and transfer power of arms to the authorities. But that is a story for a different day. Suffice to say, my freedom of self determination and defense of self is much stronger than my loyalty to collective bargaining.
I think what's up with all the strikes lately is that most employees decide to vote "strike" for the wrong reasons, which include doing what their colleagues and work mates do and listening to a lot of rhetoric of Union honchos and shops stewards instead of sitting down with pencil and paper and conferring with an accountant. As one poster wrongly put it earlier a person can recover from a strike in one year if he gets a 4% raise..........................WRONG. If you miss a mortgage payment of $1000, how many paycheques increased by 4% (minus extra income tax, E.I. premiums, C.P.P. premiums) is it going to take to replace the one missed payment (plus the extra interest incurred)? Even more important is the amount of demand there is for the service provided. :smile:
I guess the same kind of "****tards" (not sure what the fairly high %age is) who live two paycheques from bankruptcy. They are not all retarded by any stretch..............a large number's financial situation changes when their marital situation changes and suddenly one person is shouldering a mortgage instead of two. I personally (just my opinion) don't think anyone should qualify for a mortgage or serious debt, unless they have and can maintain a separate account with $10,000 in it. But then that would be against the IDIOT's Charter. (The more freedom you have the more vulnerable you are).
If you can't afford your home on the money you make from one income, move to somewhere cheaper. I'm not responsible for ****tards who live beyond their means or bet their wads on magic beans. There are no excuses for not bettering yourself and upping your standard of living.
If whitie doesn't want to pump gas and is pissed because some African who took the time to better himself on far less resources than whitie and got a good civil service postion then **** whitie. He had his chance and still has his chance if he chooses.
If whitie doesn't want to pump gas and is pissed because some African who took the time to better himself on far less resources than whitie and got a good civil service postion then **** whitie. He had his chance and still has his chance if he chooses.
A wise man would acknowledge that there was alot more to RANDs ruling than manditory sign off.
75 % Of Canadians Have Less Than Three Months Worth Of Savings In The Bank | Ipsos
Three-quarters (75%) of Canadians have less than three months worth of savings in the bank—33% have an amount between one and three months; while 42 % admit to having no ‘rainy day’ money. The remaining 25% have an amount equal to three months or more of their household’s expenses.
Yeah, it's a hand to mouth existance for many these days. Of course thinking back to when I was in my 20s, beer was the first priority just slightly ahead of food and shelter, so any cash on hand was thought of in terms of glasses of beer. NOW I wonder how I was able to sleep at night back then!
Back-to-work bill for postal workers could be tabled today
TORONTO, Ont. - The federal government is set to table back-to-work legislation as soon as Monday afternoon as Canada Post and its union continue negotiations. The back-to-work bill can be tabled after 3 p.m., but it will likely take until Thursday to work its way through the House of Commons and into law.
The NDP is expected to challenge the bill and to filibuster as long as it can.
Meanwhile, Canada Post spokesperson John Hamilton said both sides will be back at the bargaining table again, Monday. "The best outcome out of all of this is a negotiated settlement; we still have time to do that," Hamilton said.
However, Denis Lemelin, president of the 48,000 Canadian Union of Postal Workers, sounded almost resigned that a negotiated deal is not in the cards. "The real negotiation between Canada Post and the union is finished because the fact that the government decides to step in and rescue [Canada Post] in some way," Lemelin said.
The union also plans to rally in Ottawa, protesting the legislation that will likely get them back on the job by the end of the week.
Back-to-work bill for postal workers could be tabled today - 680News
there is nothing more basic than the right to withdraw your services. It generally makes both sides bleed until resolution is found.
I agree with back to work legislation, but it should always come at a price....both sides should have to submit themselves to binding arbitration, that would be a powerful incentive to keep both sides bargaining in good faith for as long as it is possible.
I agree with back to work legislation, but it should always come at a price....both sides should have to submit themselves to binding arbitration, that would be a powerful incentive to keep both sides bargaining in good faith for as long as it is possible.
A back to work bill would invariably favour the corporation, so by nature, it's counterintuitive to fair bargaining principals.
With binding arbitration, the unbiased arbitrator is most likely to split the demands down the center.
When the bargaining issues are just money, this could benefit the employee or the company.
However, when the bargaining issues involve safety, or non-monetary issues like justice and integrity clauses, the company is likely to take a big kick in the balls if they are legally bound to honour half of the proposal.
I, for one, have never voted strike for a monetary issue, it has always been the non monetary issues that determine how I vote. So in my opinion, binding arbitration would be a welcomed process whenever the bargaining at the table falls apart.
In disallowing the corporation to assume that the employee has 'quit' (after a period of time is) and to take on new hires is significantly in favor of the union.
By significantly, you mean significantly profitable for the corporation when they get to drop to the wage rates the government inked for them? (see below)
Unbiased. LOL
The arbitrator will be chosen by the CPC. Why do you think Air Canada settled for raises and didn't begin to touch pensions? The fairest settlement practice is always mediation, but that takes time and cannot be rushed.
This back-to-work legislation is already showing its stripes as favouring one side. I guarantee if the NDP were penning this same legislation, you would see a marked bias in favour of the unions. But in neither case, would any arbitration based on government intervention ever qualify as being as fair and unbiased as mediation.
Arbitration rarely ends up favouring both parties (collaboration), it usually results in a sacrifice or compromise by both parties at the whim of the arbitrator.
And in this case, guess who's calling the shots..
Postal back-to-work battle begins in Commons
Parliament was set to begin dealing Tuesday with legislation to put locked-out Canada Post employees back to work for even less than their employer last offered. Canadian Union of Postal Workers head Denis Lemelin says the proposed wages punish workers for disruptions caused by the Crown corporation's lockout.
CUPW says the last offer included raises of 1.9 per cent in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and two per cent in 2014.
The back-to-work bill, however, sets wage hikes at 1.75 per cent in 2011, 1.5 per cent in 2012, two per cent in 2013 and 2014. "We're very comfortable with those numbers," Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said Monday. "It indicates where we think the growth is and what we think is appropriate."
Postal back-to-work battle begins in Commons - Nova Scotia - CBC News
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The government should have never stepped into this mess. This the first time a government is dictating pay scales since the 1970s. These are the same conservatives which preach less governmental intervention, not more.
The irony is killing me.
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You know what's really funny? All the signs the posties have, that say 'ON STRIKE', but with paper taped over that part that says 'LOCKED OUT'.
It's a bit of a techincality to claim you've been locked out, after starting rotating strikes.
It's a bit of a techincality to claim you've been locked out, after starting rotating strikes.
no, it would be a bit of a technicallity to claim rotating lock outs , after starting rotating strikes.