Garbage Strike - Give Me a Break

[Toke]

TOKE- you state that most union workers are lazy so lets look at some, teachers, policemen, firemen, these are just a few of the public employees that belong to a union or association. There are also some lawyers ect and many otheres I call tehm lazy!!!

I didn't say most. However, I will say that a few bad apples spoil the bunch. The difference with union workers is that the union protection gives them a reason to not give their all to the job. I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush, but knowing many people who are in unions, and hearing their stories of 'how things work' and why, is it wrong to say that a large part of a unions responsibility is to keep its member employed; output aside?

Sure there are lazy non-union workers too. It's just that they don't have the backing to keep that game up for long.

BTW, if you read my earlier posting, I will soon be a teacher, hence, part of that union. However, I don't plan to slip into 'the system' and 'rest on my laurels'.

 

[buckwheat1]

TOKE - well what union OSSTF? ETFO? OECTA? all are excellent unions and they do more then bargain for you they carry out professional development sessions for you, professional counselling if required, bargaining,
just to mention a few. I wish you all the best they all have excellent websites as well. Where did you get your B.ed from?

 

[blackrock13]

I knew I was going to regret it.
I need some sleep!

 

[Toke]

TOKE - well what union OSSTF? ETFO? OECTA? all are excellent unions and they do more then bargain for you they carry out professional development sessions for you, professional counselling if required, bargaining,
just to mention a few. I wish you all the best they all have excellent websites as well. Where did you get your B.ed from?

BEd is the next step. Looking at some schools south of the border.

 

[buckwheat1]

Well when I here that it usually tells me one didn't have high enough marks to get into a B.ed program in Ontario most are like 85% and above for an Ontario university.

 

[blackrock13]

Well when I here that it usually tells me one didn't have high enough marks to get into a B.ed program in Ontario most are like 85% and above for an Ontario university.

Now I know I regret it.

 

[realthing69]

In your case Executives lead the way.

Could I ask you is this a permanent cut? What will happen when things turn around?

The idea is that we are to be re-instated to our original pay when our company turns around. This could be be BS, who knows???

With all the layoffs at our company specifically our Toronto office, I took on the roles of 3 other positions on top of my regular job.

But if they don't re-instate, I'm going to keep my eyes open for another job.

They have yet to outsource our jobs (the Toronto office) to India/China, yet. They have outsourced jobs from the USA to India.

It's a totally different culture with the current company. Before our office got sold off to the current company, the previous executives were in it only for themselves. They made everyone else suffer (cut backs, layoffs) while they gave themselves big bonuses and stock options. A lot of people left the company...

 

[opieshuffle]

To keep it simple...

...exactly WHY do government workers need a union?

Sure...I can see their place in the world of private corporate greed. Whether they've outlasted their usefulness now can be debated ad nauseum.

But honestly...as a self-employed person in this city, who hasn't been able to pay into their own retirement, took a pay cut to keep staff employed, who's scrambling just to stay alive, and pays the most ridiculous tax you can ever imagine, I'll ask again...why the FUCK are my tax dollars going to unionised workers who hold this city hostage? Do they not make enough money? Are they treated badly? IS it THAT ROUGH?!

If you seriously need 18 days per year for sick days then maybe a call to the World Health Organisation is in order because clearly there's something in the air in all gov't offices making people REALLY sick!

Here's a thought...don't work...don't get paid!

I'm tired of taking a paycut in the form of taxes and service fees all the time and getting NOTHING but shit service and more taxes for all my hard work. Can I have my money back please since these people aren't being paid right now? Anyone looked at their city water bill lately and seen the extra costs tacked on for the garbage?

This insanity and ridiculousness needs to fucking stop now!

OP

 

[Toke]

Well when I here that it usually tells me one didn't have high enough marks to get into a B.ed program in Ontario most are like 85% and above for an Ontario university.

First, I'm finishing my undergrad, and I do have the grades. In the U.S. you get a Master's degree after one year rather than two in Ontario.

Second, I have the marks.

Third, the correct spelling is 'hear', not 'here'

 

[blackrock13]

Spell check strikes again.

 

[Mia.Colpa]

In the U.S. you get a Master's degree after one year rather than two in Ontario

That would probably be Niagara U, several of my colleagues got their Masters Of Education there within a year, don't know how do they do it. But it's recognized by the Ontario School system.

Are you guys aware that the City of Toronto management also had sick days banked until it was taken away recently, it's not unique to just the city employees. Also, let's not forget it was the city idiotic politicians that gave these sick days to the employees in their contractural negotiations in the first place, that was a dumb move. And finally, let's not forget how those morons in the council chambers voted themselves an increase earlier this year when the city was crying for money. Why does the public take that kind of shit, those friggin' politicians need to be told where to go at the next election.

 

[Jiffy Pop]

Toke

I do not blame you for going to the states because it will save you a year .If I was trying to be a teacher might do the same. But without even thinking about it you already have a bit of a union attitude you just cut a corner to get to the destination. Most of my working life I have been non union and at one time owned my own company. The past few years have been part of a government union doing a really easy job with no stress. I find in Canada(Ottawa especially) everything is set up where most peoples dream is to get a full time government job. If you are not and even worse own your own company the government is always trying to take more of your money. Many of the people who I work with started really young and by 55 will be retired. In the private sector most people do not have that option. Sorry for no paragraphs but one last thing I no people on here are always bashing the US but I find one thing the have we do not is an attitude and not as many taxes that pushes more to excel and try to be more of a success. I have a friend of mine who is also a teacher at the max level now and who was a great student 90 plus with great people skills and to me when I think about him I always think he is underemployed teaching primary school kids but he as the stability. He is kind of like a potential 50 goal scorer in hockey who gets is 30 per year and that is enough.

 

[blackrock13]

That would probably be Niagara U, several of my colleagues got their Masters Of Education there within a year, don't know how do they do it. But it's recognized by the Ontario School system.

Are you guys aware that the City of Toronto management also had sick days banked until it was taken away recently, it's not unique to just the city employees. Also, let's not forget it was the city idiotic politicians that gave these sick days to the employees in their contractural negotiations in the first place, that was a dumb move. And finally, let's not forget how those morons in the council chambers voted themselves an increase earlier this year when the city was crying for money. Why does the public take that kind of shit, those friggin' politicians need to be told where to go at the next election.

The important words here were 'had' and 'taken away' Now it's CUPE's turn. On the surface, giving them the banked hours night have been stupid but what was the alternative. What did the city get in return.

 

[buckwheat1]

tehy saved on short term insurance which is very expensive

 

[squash500]

The important words here were 'had' and 'taken away' Now it's CUPE's turn. On the surface, giving them the banked hours night have been stupid but what was the alternative. What did the city get in return.

According to Brian Cochrane the former head of cupe the 18 sick days were given out by the city sometime in the 1970's ? This was well before amalgamation.

What would happen would be that an East York garbageman for example was getting paid more than a north york garbageman. Therefore what the city did in the 1970's to stop this constant transferring of garbage workers to the highest bidder so to speak was to offer these banked sick days as a sweetener to retain city employees and to prevent absenteeism.

 

[joker12]

Idea!!!

I've got a brilliant idea. The city is apying a bunch of fuckers to go through illegally dumped garbage so they can give tickets. Why doesn't the city just have these idiots collect the garbage for them while the union pricks are on strike. Everyone wins....union get to strike, these ticket guys get to keep their jobs (not sure what they were hired for in the first place...they clearly don't have such a busy schedule in their day job if they have time to go through dumped trash) and we win because our garbage gets collected....

 

[Toke]

But without even thinking about it you already have a bit of a union attitude you just cut a corner to get to the destination.

That is ridiculous. You're just taking being educated abroad and placing it into a context in which it does not fit.

 

[guelph]

Thanks. I hope things work out for you.

Do you know if any concessions in union contracts have ever been reinstated in "better times"?

 

[Jiffy Pop]

Toke

Having spent so much time in the states as a child and in my twenties and having so much family there I do not think of the states as abroad. Good luck with your education and I hope it will not take you to long to get a permanent position. I do agree from what I have seen so far there are more lazy workers on the union side of things but it is still a small minority. The other thing I rather take my chances on and this goes for most unions wage increases are equal. I know people get upset when dog fuckers get the same but over the years I have seen so many good workers get screwed because the are not in the management good books and it hurts employee morale. One last thing not as many kiss asses sucking up to management. When I ran my own business there was nothing I hated more then kiss asses.

 

[Toke]

Having spent so much time in the states as a child and in my twenties and having so much family there I do not think of the states as abroad. Good luck with your education and I hope it will not take you to long to get a permanent position. I do agree from what I have seen so far there are more lazy workers on the union side of things but it is still a small minority. The other thing I rather take my chances on and this goes for most unions wage increases are equal. I know people get upset when dog fuckers get the same but over the years I have seen so many good workers get screwed because the are not in the management good books and it hurts employee morale. One last thing not as many kiss asses sucking up to management. When I ran my own business there was nothing I hated more then kiss asses.

Done, and done. I agree.
This type of thing (the strike) only bothers me because of the tag-a-longs who really don't deserve the 'perks' being fought for will benefit the same way as those who deserve the 'perks' and maybe more. In teaching, it's the fact that the person who couldn't care any less about whether or not they are actually 'teaching' are getting the same 'benefits of the job' as the person who actually does it for more than the paycheck. It's like that in any field. The worst become the poster child for all.