City Workers Strike 2009

[Dilla]

Well what I really meant is that it doesn't eliminate the possibility of strikes.

From what I understand, the contract with Etobicoke has to be the same length as the contract with the workers (3 years, I believe I read). Any firm which doesn't have a contract with their workers for that duration is ineligible to tender for the contract. So that should take care of labour disputes.

If it must be kept public, I'd even be happy enough if the garbage collectors were in their own union. The other 28 000 union city employees have just been piggy backing on the damage they can do as a monopoly on their service. Hence the 79 voting and wanting to go back to work before the 416 even voted. I'd be pissed at Dembinski if I were Ferguson.

 

[marathe]

If it must be kept public, I'd even be happy enough if the garbage collectors were in their own union. The other 28 000 union city employees have just been piggy backing on the damage they can do as a monopoly on their service.

An excellent idea but wouldn't happen.

Take a look at the stink L416 raised when Cochrane got the library unit to split after he retired. The solid waste aspect of 416 holds so much clout that they'd be loathe to let them leave.

A separate local for EMS workers would be in order as well, unless they get the essential service designation passed.

 

[Seymour]

Crazy Councillors

Karen Stintz can suck the big one. What a horrendous slag the woman is. See her live at:

http://www.rogerstv.com/option.asp?rid=16&lid=12&sid=1030


Stintz go away.

 

[Dilla]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-kicks-off-contentious-debate/article1236717/

“The city wanted to terminate and prosecute those few who got a little excited on the picket lines. We made sure of amnesty for everybody involved,” he told the cheering crowd. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”

-That Ferguson jerk from Local 416

This right here is exactly what makes me want to make unions illegal across the board. I'm sorry, I know that sounds extreme, but a professional association standing up for illegal behaviour, and being so f@*&ing smug about it makes me want to punch Ferguson in the face. How can you be expected to be taken seriously with comments like this? Why should you be? Imagine if the head of the college of family physicians said something like this! THIS AIN'T VEGAS!

 

[Seymour]

Some of these councillors know NOTHING about negotiations. (STINTZ)

 

[Seymour]

Oh PLEASE Case Ootes. Another troll! As IF this man needs to go back to his Harris-loving universe. Actually Ootes belongs in the US since he;s so keen about privatising everything including the police. I need to remind people that it was THE PRIVATE sector singlehandedly that bankrupted the WORLD economy. Nothing is better or greater with the private sector.

 

[Dilla]

Oh PLEASE Case Ootes. Another troll! As IF this man needs to go back to his Harris-loving universe. Actually Ootes belongs in the US since he;s so keen about privatising everything including the police. I need to remind people that it was THE PRIVATE sector singlehandedly that bankrupted the WORLD economy. Nothing is better or greater with the private sector.

Oh, this is adorable. The private sector made it so the world could go broke, because it's the private sector that made all the wealth. Where do you think public money comes from, Seymour? That's right, taxes from your hated private sector. Where do you think your pay cheque comes from? Money from a company which works in the private sector. Sounds to me like you're doing ok off it. OR should we go total Karl Marx and make everything public and live in a utopia? I'm sure that's almost certainly what would happen.

 

[andrejeffry]

Oh PLEASE Case Ootes. Another troll! As IF this man needs to go back to his Harris-loving universe. Actually Ootes belongs in the US since he;s so keen about privatising everything including the police. I need to remind people that it was THE PRIVATE sector singlehandedly that bankrupted the WORLD economy. Nothing is better or greater with the private sector.

Are you CUPE member?!?

 

[SimonP]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-kicks-off-contentious-debate/article1236717/



This right here is exactly what makes me want to make unions illegal across the board. I'm sorry, I know that sounds extreme, but a professional association standing up for illegal behaviour, and being so f@*&ing smug about it makes me want to punch Ferguson in the face. How can you be expected to be taken seriously with comments like this? Why should you be? Imagine if the head of the college of family physicians said something like this! THIS AIN'T VEGAS!

They just discussed this at council, and Miller made clear that anyone who violated the law during the strike would be prosecuted.

 

[marathe]

They just discussed this at council, and Miller made clear that anyone who violated the law during the strike would be prosecuted.

Right. He's referring to the three civilians who were busted for fighting with CUPE whilst being delayed crossing picket lines.

The only union-affiliated individual charged was the head of the EMS unit in 416, and he jeopardized the response over Pride weekend by stealing an ambulance. Who wants to bet that gets dismissed?

You wouldn't believe the comments I've heard from people having to cross picket lines. For some reason social services offices were especially targetted.

People slashing tires, verbally harassing people? Scot free. Even blocking access to places was permitted because the Toronto Police Association had issued their support for the strike from the outset (don't believe me?: http://www.cupelocal79.org/Police Association Support.pdf)

 

[Dilla]

They just discussed this at council, and Miller made clear that anyone who violated the law during the strike would be prosecuted.

Well, of course. Miller can't pardon people from crimes, it's not in his power to do such things (although these days I get the feeling he might if he could). No politician in Canada has that power (legally).

They won't be disciplined for anything is my point. The union doesn't want to discipline it's own members for terrible behaviour. Any professional orgainization should want their members to behave in a way which reflects well on that organization, but as these guys are just a bunch of thugs, they revel and celebrate in their thuggery. It's their true colours shining through. No one need be accountable for what they do in the land of the Local 416.

EDIT: As marathe has pointed out, you can be certain the police aren't going to work too hard toward prosecuting anyone on the picket lines. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that no one who was on the picket line ends up being charged with anything.

 

[AGTO]

No one need be accountable for what they do in the land of the Local 416.

Except, of course, the tax payer.
Will those tax payers who were slapped with $300.00 fines be pardoned as well?

What about the Global ENG camera operaor who, while covering the strike, was physically attacked by union members in front of the police....his camera was rolling at the time and cought everything. the police told him to leave the site, since they couldn't 'do anything' for him. He informed them of the video evidence, and they told him that if he insisted they would press charges against him for punching a union member. The union buddies were all very willing to say they the camera operator punched the union member....proof of the opposite was not considered.
This is disgusting behaviour.

 

[cdr108]

Except, of course, the tax payer.
Will those tax payers who were slapped with $300.00 fines be pardoned as well?

What about the Global ENG camera operaor who, while covering the strike, was physically attacked by union members in front of the police....his camera was rolling at the time and cought everything. the police told him to leave the site, since they couldn't 'do anything' for him. He informed them of the video evidence, and they told him that if he insisted they would press charges against him for punching a union member. The union buddies were all very willing to say they the camera operator punched the union member....proof of the opposite was not considered.
This is disgusting behaviour.

unions are no better than organized crime so it seems.

if unions really want to do some good for the people, then they should actively organize in PRIVATE service sectors (ie. non-management bank employees comes to mind RE: CIBC teller lawsuit) since these are the ones that need representation more than PUBLIC employees.

 

[AGTO]

unions are no better than organized crime so it seems.

It's concerning that they have the police on their side as well.

 

[marathe]

What about the Global ENG camera operaor who, while covering the strike, was physically attacked by union members in front of the police....his camera was rolling at the time and cought everything. the police told him to leave the site, since they couldn't 'do anything' for him. He informed them of the video evidence, and they told him that if he insisted they would press charges against him for punching a union member. The union buddies were all very willing to say they the camera operator punched the union member....proof of the opposite was not considered.
This is disgusting behaviour.

Every picket line was videotaped by the City. Every single one.

Yet throughout the strike Miller repeatedly indicated that they did not have enough evidence to pursue injunctions to mandate protocols for each picket line into place.

I highly doubt that 416 getting a blanket amnesty was even all that necessary: Miller was unlikely to allow the prosecution of any of the union people anyway.

I'm actually surprised the unions didn't think of some more creative ways to get their message across - there's lots of highways they could have blocked, given that that doesn't appear to be a crime anymore either.