Buckdog

leftdog,

Would you suggest any government not step in when health care issues are lumped into this strike? How many people need to become seriously ill, or die, before the government steps in?

I wonder what the left would do if someone died as a result of this strike and the government didn't step in? Would they complain about the right wing government of the day NOT stepping in?

If the NDP were in power, would they get a pass, because one death compared to the overall collective isn't a high price to pay.

Or is the potential loss of life merely the cost of a society that has unions involved?

Premier Wall should step in if health care is suffering.

"... pointing out that the union offered last week to return to work in exchange for non-binding mediation.”

The union offered to go back to work with mediation. That is NOT unreasonable ... and yet you defend using a hammer to fix the problem. Admit it Mike ... you hate unions, you can see nothing good about unions, and you ideological bias against organized labour is so extreme that you welcome Wall convening the legislature to IMPOSE your will on these working people!

How quickly we change our minds Mike!

From my comment section when I mused about Wall putting in back to work legislation (Tuesday, Nov 27) you wrote:

It's not the government's responsibility to intervene. Why should they?

If the strikers rejected an 18% increase, let them walk... and walk they should for a long, long time.

Touche Sean!

Very good post you published today Sean ... if it's okay with you, I will link your post to mine!

Mike the Geek, do you really think that Wall is going to be the protector of health care? Then couldn't there be negotiations with CUPE to send those workers at University hospital back to work and not interfere with the majority, who don't work with health care? I think Wall is governing by "making moles out of ant hills". He is finding small reasons to make big changes, looks like he is not choosing to tread lightly and govern from the centre and instead use a heavy handed approach. This is not something Wall campaigned on, but is certainly something the NDP warned us about.

Hey Leftdog,

Guess what evil rightwinger has a blog now.

ME!!

Just kidding I'm not evil.

although you might think I am :-)

Sean,

We all need to be flexible. At the time, I was unaware that medical issues had arisen during the strike. That segment should be relegated back to work if no solution can be hammered out. As for the janitors etc., let them walk, or get private services contracted until it gets done.

leftdog, I don't care for unions. You're right. But the issue is not with the workers themselves. The issue I have is with union executives that get their pay on the backs of union members. They have in many cases become as bad as the people they claim to be fighting against.

Any reasonable individual can see that.

But Mike ... you have no problem with corporate executives who conspire to keep gas prices high .. (no price fixing here, wink wink nudge nudge). Slum lords who live off the misery of the poor (hiking rentals to the max they can get - sometimes going to jail when tenants die from faulty fire alarms) ..... Oh no .. you focus all of your ideological contempt on "union executives that get their pay on the backs of union members" even though unions act as advocates for working people in grievance situations - unfair labour practices - gender discrimination ... in your world, employers should be able to fire anyone, anytime for any or no reason simply because they are the employer ....

Mike you're just a 'hopeless' right winger. I know it - you know it ...
that's the way you've decided to see the world. Not my cup of tea!

The problem with the left wing is what you have just shown in your last post.

You have come to conclusions without actually asking any questions about my stances on any of those topics.

Can you tell me when I made mention of gas prices, Jack Grover etc.

As far as your assessment, you don't anything about me. Nice try though.

Just because you think it's true, doesn't make it so.

Talk about hopeless.... Wow...

BTW, no "left-wingers" at all have mentioned anything about the SGEU locking out the CEP. That's absolutely rich....

I don't understand the comment about about the union executive getting their pay on the backs of the member as these are not paid positions. And on strike the executive made the same strike pay as the members even though they put in more hours.

Where do the union executives get their pay? Union dues. And even though the U of S strikers were walking ht epicket line for 30 days, the CUPE reps, who were encouraging members to stay on the line, got their full salary.

If there were true to their roots, they would forgo salary. But its not about the members anymore.

It's about union politics.

Mike said, "Can you tell me when I made mention of gas prices, Jack Grover etc."
THAT'S THE POINT MIKE - you hate unions and their leadership but you say NOTHING about the other end of the spectrum ... the corporate world that fixes prices, gouges consumers, and puts profit ahead of the safety of tenants. Why rail against unions but not the other side of the issue???

Yes, the union dues pay all members for the strike pay, however the Negotiating committee are normal members who do not see any extra re-imbursement. Don't confuse the Cupe Rep as they do make a salary as contract but do not have voting rights when it comes to accepting the contract.
However Greg Trew and the hired guns do make more money when there is a strike and has a vested interest in seeing the strike and negotiations drag out. Add to this the yearly bonuses the HR department will get if the Universities save money on the strike. And you can follow the money trail to their interests during labour disputes.

leftdog,

I find it hilarious that Larry Hubich has now picked up your "I hate unions" line.

I never mentioned any of those things, because I stayed on topic.

Do you really believe that any reasonable person, left or right, feels that a person like Jack Grover who falsified smoke alarm records should be defended?

Neither do I...

That is not a left or right issue... That's a moral issue.

By your logic, you're probably an alcoholic, because you haven't said that you aren't.

The problem with bad bloggers on either side of the spectrum is that they make assumptions, rather than deal with the facts of the day.

Say all the things you want, but he fact is, you never asked me about those things. I didn't say I was for them, or against them.

You made an assumption.

And you know what happens when you make assumptions...

Time to deal with the real issues, leftdog, not imagined positions...