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City Workers Strike 2009

And that's really too bad, because there's pretty solid evidence that longer vacation times increase productivity. Which - after all - makes sense. But, because we compare ourselves with our pathetic (when it comes to this issue) American neighbours, we are destined to remain overworked.
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Why does that make sense? If businesses could get more efficient work out of their employees by giving them an extra week of vacation, you don't think they'd do it? Why would businesses throw away the chance to make more money? Maybe because it's not as easy as "more vacation = more productivity". I'm sure there's some relationship between the two, but as KeithZ mentioned, Europeans tend to be more productive than North Americans. Do they get more vacation time because they're more productive, or are they more productive because they get more vacation time? Maybe we'd get more vacation time too if we were as productive.

Also, it depends on the job. I get four weeks of vacation to start, but they're not vigilant about it; if I wanted to take five or probably even six I could, as long as I get my work done. It's a contract whereby I do a good job and I get the benefits, because I'm in a job where they (hopefully) value my skills. CUPE members want all the benefits without any requirement to actually do a good job. Why would they, when they know the union will be there to save them no matter how incompetent they are?

In the end, people generally deserve what they get, and vice versa. If the unions are able to strike their way to better pay, then good for them. If not, then they lost their standoff. Just don't complain that it's not 'fair'.
 
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Hank said:
Why does that make sense? If businesses could get more efficient work out of their employees by giving them an extra week of vacation, you don't think they'd do it? Why would businesses throw away the chance to make more money? Maybe because it's not as easy as "more vacation = more productivity". I'm sure there's some relationship between the two, but as KeithZ mentioned, Europeans tend to be more productive than North Americans. Do they get more vacation time because they're more productive, or are they more productive because they get more vacation time? Maybe we'd get more vacation time too if we were as productive.
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Although I was only a minor in economics back in the day, I did quite a bit of research on this, and yeah -- the evidence points to the fact that there is a large productivity gain to be had from an extended vacation, regardless of any other factor. The reason why it makes sense should be relatively easy to discern - workers who have more free time outside their job tend to be happier when they are on the job and therefore more likely to perform better. As a result, many (most?) EU countries make vacation a REQUIREMENT -- in other words, workers are not allowed to 'moonlight' while on their vacations. Any money they would have earned from such work is clawed right back from them.

By the bye, productivity does also rise with longer hours. They are indeed diminishing returns, but that appears to be the route we as a country are taking. We're not nearly as crazy as South Koreans, though, that's for sure.
 
Vacations

With regards to vacations and productivity.

As I noted in a comment above, the entire developed world, and much of the developing world, with the exception of the United States all provide more paid vacation time than we do here in Canada.

Though, I also noted the one exception province of Saskatchewan where 3 weeks paid vacation and 10 Stat. holidays are the law. (that's 25 total days, compared with 19 here in Ontario)

Its worth noting that Saskatchewan's economy is currently outperforming the rest of Canada's provinces..... BUT NO, I don't think its because of their vacation policy, I merely point out it is not holding them back either.

I think when it comes to vacation time and productivity there is unquestionably a fundamental link to greater vacation equals greater productivity, up to a point.

This comes from 2 streams of basic logic. The first is that most jobs have a 'fixed' amount of work to be done, and if you give someone one extra week off, they still have to complete the same amount of work, in the work time remaining, so they do! It is, in some measure, that simple. (though I realize that is overly simple) it is at its essence, true.

When that happens of course, they am by definition working fewer days/hours, so you divide the same total of work by fewer hours or days and produce a higher level of daily productivity.

***

Additionally, there is the factor of burn-out/malaise. I'm lucky enough to be in a high skill job where I have generous vacation.

But I remember when I was younger not having that.

And know how bedraggled I felt in May, when I hadn't taken time off since the previous October, and how much more I loathed coming in to work and how much happier I was to see the end of a work day.

I also remember how much better I felt after a week or 2 away in early summer, and coming back with much more enthusiasm and much more refreshed, and being more willing to show up early and put in OT (off the books as is often the case in many offices). That's how vacations boost productivity!

They also boost it through retention, where in less burned out workers who like their jobs stay longer and become more expert and efficient in their jobs over time.

****

As to why businesses don't provide more vacation time voluntarily.....

Compare Walmart vs Costco

Both are highly profitable. Costco in fact is more profitable in terms of ROI (though not scale).

They offer comparable products, at comparable prices, and earn comparable returns.

But Walmart does it with endless numbers of staff who are low-paid, rarely have benefits, and where working conditions and wages rarely exceed the legislated minimum.

Costco, on the other hand does it with far fewer staff who are paid on average, double the minimum wage, have paid sick days, health benefits and much more.

Costco's workforce is far more productive, because they are better trained, much more experienced (Costco workers avg close to 10yrs experience, as oppose to Walmart's six months or so)

Surely it logically follow's that Walmart should amend its business practises to follow Costcos!

YET, that doesn't happen. Business schools' don't usually teach the Costco model; business are stacked with managers and executive's trained in how a company has always worked, its pre-existing culture, and often have no desire to change it or any awareness it could be done differently.

And in fairness to the Walmart's of the world, you could not build Costco's culture or productivity overnight by providing good wages etc.

You would risk years of transition in becoming a fairer and more productive employer.

That's why the law is a more effective mechanism for setting basic legal norms and then let employers make the necessary adjustments to make it happen.
 
1) My local temp dump is really, really starting to stink. I feel sorry for those living within a block of the place. Last week it didn't stink.

2) I heard on the radio today that the unions will be starting to change the pickets at the temp dump sites so that there will be a 15 minute wait per car, like they've done at the permanent transfer sites.

3) I drove past a sign today advertising $5 a bag for garbage pickup. I looked up the website, and it turned out to be Roofer Dave.
 
A company picks up garbage for a restaurant where I work part time for $3 a bag. I'm just going to bring my garbage to work and pay to avoid waiting in line. I don't have time from 7-7 and it sounds like Bermondsey will be packed at all hours!

I hope this doesn't mean the price/bag is going up.
 
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Yeah even a hardcore capitalist should see how extended vacations increase productivity.

Even in Quebec they are far more relaxed when it comes to work and vacations.

Stores close at 5pm on Saturdays and most weekdays apart from Friday and everyone is just sitting around chilling, drinking and with Family. No one is working... I liked that atmosphere in Quebec City, and the thing is Quebec City is a very productive well off region with a very very low unemployment rate.

So what gives???
 
Gotta love this quote from the city:

Mr. Sack said the city cannot remove trash from existing parks because, among other reasons, “We would have difficulty getting equipment or trucks in or our of the sites due to picketing.â€

I agree with the tone of the article. The city would rather confront its residents than have a true showdown with the union. I think the city is hoping for the province to intervene. That way the union gets relatively protected, and the city can claim it tried to stand up for its residents rights.
 
Didn't want to de-rail the discussion (trying to keep this thread relevant to the strike)...I wrote in the Unions thread about vacation and European labour policies.
 
Miller releases city's contract offer
Details of a proposed 7.2 per cent wage increase over four years released Friday in high-stakes move to end 19-day strike by Toronto workers

Jennifer Lewington and Brodie Fenlon

Globe and Mail Update
Last updated on Friday, Jul. 10, 2009 11:44AM EDT

In a high-stakes move to end a 19-day strike by city workers, Toronto Mayor David Miller has released key details of a proposed contract offer.

The offer includes a proposed wage increase of 7.2 per cent compounded over four years: 1 per cent in 2009, 1 per cent in 2010, 2 per cent in 2011 and 3 per cent in 2012.

“Enough is enough,” said Mr. Miller. “It’s time to say yes to a deal.”

The city said its offer maintains all the same seniority protection for employees that was in the previous collective agreements.

The deal would also scrap the controversial sick leave benefit program, which allows full-time employees to collect, carryover and cash out up to six months of sick pay upon retirement, and replace it with a short-term disability plan.

However, the city has agreed to pay out a portion of the existing sick leave credits to staff. For employees with 10 years or more of service, the average payout would be about $8,500, the city said. The minimum payout would be $500 for full-time employees. Part-time workers with CUPE local 79, which represents indoor workers, would be eligible for a payment of up to $500 based on their hours worked in the previous year.

Details of the new plan were posted at www.toronto.ca/offer.

Mr. Miller’s announcement comes just two days after his employee and labour relations committee gave city negotiators “a little more flexibility,” in the mayor’s words, to cut a deal with locals 79 and 416 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The mayor's strategy appears designed to go over the head of union leaders to the public and striking workers, some who have expressed concerns recently about the length of the walkout and the union's communication to its members.

“We want our employees back and Torontonians want their services and their city back to normal,” he said.

The city and its union locals have been at a virtual negotiating standstill since June 22, when 24,000 workers walked off the job in a legal strike that has left about 400,000 residents without garbage collection and cancelled a range of other services including day care, pools, ferries and permits.

Other details of the city's offer made public Friday:

- The city says it has asked for only two "simple changes" to its benefits package. While employees are covered 100 per cent for prescription drugs, the city wants to limit its payout of the pharmacist dispensing fee to $9.50. It also wants to change dental recall exams to every nine months instead of six months for adults. -

- For workers who get Remembrance Day off, the city wants to exchange it for Family Day.

- the short-term disability plan would offer employees either 100 per cent or 75 per cent of their salary based on years of service to a maximum of six months per year. There would be no carryovers.

More to come

*****************************

That offer sounds more than fair to me. If this is what the union's been rejecting, I have even less sympathy for their position.
 
Delivered a second bag of gently marinating household food waste to Moss Park this morning. Unlike my previous visit, no receiving line awaited me - so I placed my well-wrapped gift bag at the base of one of the large mounds of black plastic and left. Surprisingly, there wasn't the malodorous stench that I had expected.

I chatted pleasantly for a few minutes with a few of the female picketers ( frightfully nice people ), gave them my best wishes for a successful outcome, and headed north.

I walked up the steps and into All Saints, at Dundas and Sherbourne, which has some lovely stained glass windows as noted on my previous visit. They appear to date from the 1880s, some are quite stunning - a couple of small ones at the south east corner where the computers are set up form their own Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood - and I'm so glad I went. And I shall return.

Half a dozen dishevelled, feral, odoriferous men slept on the bare floors. Another played the piano and sung beautifully. There was coffee to be had for a small fee. But I had to haste away.
 
Hank said:
Miller releases city's contract offer
Details of a proposed 7.2 per cent wage increase over four years released Friday in high-stakes move to end 19-day strike by Toronto workers


The offer includes a proposed wage increase of 7.2 per cent compounded over four years: 1 per cent in 2009, 1 per cent in 2010, 2 per cent in 2011 and 3 per cent in 2012.

The deal would also scrap the controversial sick leave benefit program, which allows full-time employees to collect, carryover and cash out up to six months of sick pay upon retirement, and replace it with a short-term disability plan.

However, the city has agreed to pay out a portion of the existing sick leave credits to staff. For employees with 10 years or more of service, the average payout would be about $8,500, the city said. The minimum payout would be $500 for full-time employees. Part-time workers with CUPE local 79, which represents indoor workers, would be eligible for a payment of up to $500 based on their hours worked in the previous year.

Other details of the city's offer made public Friday:

- The city says it has asked for only two "simple changes" to its benefits package. While employees are covered 100 per cent for prescription drugs, the city wants to limit its payout of the pharmacist dispensing fee to $9.50. It also wants to change dental recall exams to every nine months instead of six months for adults. -

- For workers who get Remembrance Day off, the city wants to exchange it for Family Day.

- the short-term disability plan would offer employees either 100 per cent or 75 per cent of their salary based on years of service to a maximum of six months per year. There would be no carryovers.
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that seems more than reasonable to me !
 
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