Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Fine Line
I'm a member of a union. I'm someone who thinks a union has its place to ensure fair wages, decent hours, safe workplaces, etc, as there have been too many examples of employers taking advantage of the system and doing the bare minimum with little regard for the people they hire.
Sometimes a union has to strike if they feel their employer has treated them unfairly or if they have to fight to obtain certain rights or concessions. But what I cannot stand, is when a union takes it too far, and affects those who have nothing to do with the issues at hand.
I've read an article today where CUPE is planning a strike on December 23rd for its OC Transpo employees it represents, upset at potential 2-year wage freezes and job cuts.
Sure, you're upset about that...I'd be upset about that. But why are you striking on December 23rd, right before the Christmas holidays?
Why do these unions think this will get the public on their side? If anything, this will make the public side with the city. There's a looming recession and tax hikes are already on the table, so the mindset is everyone will need to do their part to get through this. Why does OC Transpo think they're insulated from this?
If CUPE was smart, they should have stated a strike wouldn't happen until after New Year's. They could issue a press release declaring they could strike on the 23rd, but being sensitive to the needs of the citizens of Ottawa, they will continue with their service and allow their patrons to better prepare for ways to commute after the holidays are finished. If you're going to ruin the way I get to work, fine, but my Christmas Holidays come once a year, don't ruin it for me by being selfish and insensitive to the riders on your bus.
But what do I know?
Sometimes a union has to strike if they feel their employer has treated them unfairly or if they have to fight to obtain certain rights or concessions. But what I cannot stand, is when a union takes it too far, and affects those who have nothing to do with the issues at hand.
I've read an article today where CUPE is planning a strike on December 23rd for its OC Transpo employees it represents, upset at potential 2-year wage freezes and job cuts.
Sure, you're upset about that...I'd be upset about that. But why are you striking on December 23rd, right before the Christmas holidays?
Why do these unions think this will get the public on their side? If anything, this will make the public side with the city. There's a looming recession and tax hikes are already on the table, so the mindset is everyone will need to do their part to get through this. Why does OC Transpo think they're insulated from this?
If CUPE was smart, they should have stated a strike wouldn't happen until after New Year's. They could issue a press release declaring they could strike on the 23rd, but being sensitive to the needs of the citizens of Ottawa, they will continue with their service and allow their patrons to better prepare for ways to commute after the holidays are finished. If you're going to ruin the way I get to work, fine, but my Christmas Holidays come once a year, don't ruin it for me by being selfish and insensitive to the riders on your bus.
But what do I know?
# posted by SBP : 10:32 PM
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Here's the thing: Most people don't care. They don't care about the issue, the impact on earners or the position of the company. To quote Public Enemy: Flavor Flav's got problems of his own.
So, the union has no outside support anyways. What a strike does is inconvenience voters (not make them care), who then pressure the city/government/whomever to go back to the table and get this thing solved one way or another.
It has nothing to do with being sensitive to the citizens of Ottawa, or avoiding inconvenient strikes, it's all about negotiating tactics that put pressure on the other side to act more quickly (and, in theory, more favourably) than they would otherwise.
Doing the "we could have had a strike but didn't because we care" message is nice PR, but doesn't get anyone back to the table, and people don't care if they don't see any change from the service they're normally used to. And what do they do when the City comes back with a statement saying "All this posturing and press release writing is delaying the negotiating process" or something like that...
So, the union has no outside support anyways. What a strike does is inconvenience voters (not make them care), who then pressure the city/government/whomever to go back to the table and get this thing solved one way or another.
It has nothing to do with being sensitive to the citizens of Ottawa, or avoiding inconvenient strikes, it's all about negotiating tactics that put pressure on the other side to act more quickly (and, in theory, more favourably) than they would otherwise.
Doing the "we could have had a strike but didn't because we care" message is nice PR, but doesn't get anyone back to the table, and people don't care if they don't see any change from the service they're normally used to. And what do they do when the City comes back with a statement saying "All this posturing and press release writing is delaying the negotiating process" or something like that...
# posted by 
: 8:41 AM, November 26, 2008
: 8:41 AM, November 26, 2008
Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't ridership at its lowest during the holiday season since a large number of commuters would be taking time off?
If you ask me they're less likely to impact people if they strike over the holidays.
/rt.
If you ask me they're less likely to impact people if they strike over the holidays.
/rt.
# posted by : 12:26 PM, November 26, 2008
: 12:26 PM, November 26, 2008
Maybe they figure striking during the holidays is less disruptive... since so many people take time off anyhow?
You take the bus to work? Don't you work three blocks from home?
# posted by : 3:25 PM, November 26, 2008
: 3:25 PM, November 26, 2008
Yeah that's what was pointed out to me...the fact that this might be better timed since a lot of people are on holidays so it's better it's on the 23rd than later on when people have to start going back to work. And students don't have to worry about how they'll get to class either. Anyway, it still feels like a leverage ploy by CUPE by getting the "no bus service for the holidays" headline, and I wonder if its members like the idea of picketing over the holidays.
It's not the drivers going on strike. it is the support workers. Busing still will be running,abeit with some problems.
Thanks for invalidating pretty much all of BP's arguments, KKP. :)
As Gilda Radner would put it on SNL in the 70's:
NEVER MIND!
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As Gilda Radner would put it on SNL in the 70's:
NEVER MIND!
# posted by : 8:53 AM, November 28, 2008
: 8:53 AM, November 28, 2008Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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