on strike! Please help.

[traveler]

we need people to drive around the Sheraton Hotel with horns beeping, making some noise. Come support the strikers. We have no contract. 150 Albert St.- Albert and Occonner. So far O.C. transpo has been the loudest support.

[bouche]

isn't it no car day?

[SaggyBalls]

Perhaps nobody supports striking union employees anymore.

In a conservative political climate (middle of the road...whatever) it's hard for organized advantage to have any sort of clout from those that are not in unions.

The fact that you have to go onto a messageboard to get support in the way of honking horns probably speaks volumes.

[Kanada Kev]

Hey traveler,

I feel for ya. I was locked-out (yes, my employers locked the doors and wouldn't let me in to work) a couple of years ago. It sucked. For 2 months it lasted, and while people may think it looks like fun not having to work, it IS NOT.

When all avenues have been exhausted in negotiations, then something has to get done. Don't jump down somebody's throat who's on strike or locked-out until you get the details of the situation. More often than not, a corporation is trying to take advantage of their staff. THey'll do anything to save a buck and sometimes trying to affect how well they get their bucks is the only way to get through. In my situation, the employer chose to lock out the staff at a time when work slows down and they were actually able to profit by not having to deal with a huge chunk of their payroll for 2 months. They're still up to their dirty tricks and it's a big game ... and so stupid when you think about it. However, if nobody stood up to them they'd be walking all over everyone.

For people who coldly dismiss anyone who strikes, simply because they themselves are not in a unionized work environment, is pretty nasty. That's like getting mad at doctors because they make a good salary, or at teachers because they get the summer off. YOU can choose to get the education to become one of those professionals, and you can apply to work at an employer who has a unionized staff with benefits.

While I am the first to admit that there are some unions that have taken their position and power wayy beyond, there are many many more employers who do worse. In the best union/employer relationships, they work as checks+balances to ensure fair and equal treatment.

So, traveler, what is the gist of the dispute? How come there was no way of getting a contract? What are the hold out points?

[bouche]

What happens then if you're actually comfortable with working under the proposed contract? Do you strike because they're all yellin' "STRIKE" or can you say "hey, I don't want to strike. I'm fine with this deal and contract." ?

I'll honk for you if I can get down that road tomorrow. Mind you, it's usually a good idea to avoid one-way streets that are being controlled by a mob.

[d_rawk]

Mind you, it's usually a good idea to avoid one-way streets that are being controlled by a mob.

Now that is sage advice

Good luck to ya Traveler. Like Kanada Kev, I'd love to hear the details ..

[Booche]

Thanks Kev.

Some of those words might come in handy for me some day. From my perspective I have been in a strike position 4 times since I got this career and I was facking pissed off much of it because my union was getting ahead of themselves for many of their positions. Thanfully they scored some great goals but I often wonder how much was given up because of their wide-angled viewpoint.

Obviously I am venting about one particular union but I do have a question for traveler. Who are we honking for and why?

[Birdy]

What happens then if you're actually comfortable with working under the proposed contract? Do you strike because they're all yellin' "STRIKE" or can you say "hey, I don't want to strike. I'm fine with this deal and contract." ?

You strike, regardless. My mom's been down this route before with the college teacher's union. She's of the mindframe 'hey, i have an awesome job and get paid extremely well, i'm lucky!', but her union tells her that she's not getting enough. She had to report to strike duty x amount of hours every week. She hated it and thought it bullshit. I agree.

[Kanada Kev]

Damn i hate it when you type up a reply and then when you go to post it, it loses it!!

I'll respond later in the day to what you had to say Birdy.

[bouche]

What happens then if you're actually comfortable with working under the proposed contract? Do you strike because they're all yellin' "STRIKE" or can you say "hey' date=' I don't want to strike. I'm fine with this deal and contract." ?

[/quote']

You strike, regardless. My mom's been down this route before with the college teacher's union. She's of the mindframe 'hey, i have an awesome job and get paid extremely well, i'm lucky!', but her union tells her that she's not getting enough. She had to report to strike duty x amount of hours every week. She hated it and thought it bullshit. I agree.

Yeah, so basically you become a union's slave/bitch. That entire union mentality blows me away. The fact that co-workers (especially the ancient ones) would easily spit on you if you didn't follow the pack is pretty disgusting to me.

[traveler]

Hi everybody! We have been getting tons of support. I posted on the board because I know skanks care.They won't let us make noise but if someone drives by honking then they can do nothing.

Okay, so this China company rents the Sheraton name. Then they proceed with there plan to get rid of employees with retirement pensions (job security), make us pay our own medical($100./m), hire unskilled labour,force people to work overtime for free (because the think they will loose there job).

Don't knock the union. They got me my job back after the G.M. decided he didn't like me.

You remember the tainted shit found on the market from china? They use only uninspected products from China at tha hotel. These people are billionairs and they love our country.

We must stick together brothers and sisters.

p.s. if you walk my strike I will help you when they come for your job.

[rubberdinghy]

Or in the case of us bus drivers...

We got fucked up the ass because a 51% portion of the employees were in the same place as birdy's mom.

[traveler]

Our vote was 63 yes to strike 9 no.

One lady has been working at the hotel for 27 years, she comes in one day and finds out she has no shift. Other folks with 15-20 years service will now have a pension thats less then strike pay.

[traveler]

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7026186194&ref=mf

[Birdy]

Or in the case of us bus drivers...

We got fucked up the ass because a 51% portion of the employees were in the same place as birdy's mom.

So noone can feel differently than the union?

I can see the good in unions, but i can see the bad too and the bad is very, very, very bad. Unions have destroyed 3/4 of the town i live in and have taken people who once had good paying jobs and a place to go monday - friday to completely unemployed-- all in the name of overtime compensation and benefits packages.

[Kanada Kev]

There are good unions and bad unions. How can you see NO good in unions? I'm the first to admit that there are some sectors where unions got to the point where they ended up shutting down the businesses that they were supposed to be protecting the jobs of the workers. That's an extreme and most don't operate that way these days.

I can comprehend that for some employers, having a unionized workforce might be seen as a pain in the ass. However, BOTH sides come to an understanding when working out CBAs. Unions are supposed to act in a democratic fashion. They have to take votes in order to take on certain directives, and then ratify any agreements that they make with employers before they get signed-off on. The union representatives are voted in by the workers. You don't vote, DON'T complain.

Birdy, I think it is a drag when your union is not doing what you perceive to be the right thing. However, did your mom ever ask to talk to them about it? Did your mom participate in the vote to determine who represents her in the union? Does she get any of the benefits of the CBA that is in place where she works? (health, dental, pension, etc.) If she hates unions, then why did she accept a job at a place where the staff are unionized?

To me, it's a lot like politics. If you don't exercise your right to participate, and vote, then how can you expect people to side with you when you complain about your own union?

[Birdy]

She doesn't 'hate' unions at all, she was simply happy with her job in it's current state when she started getting emails from her representative to his 'brothers and sisters' outlining everything that she 'should' be unhappy with.

Office politics run deep, but union politics run even deeper. And in an office with union representation, it's even worse. My mom and a couple of other teachers were actually scared to speak out and let their voices be heard. Scared to the point where they thought some amount of physical harm could come their way... to themselves or their property. The sad reality of this, is there's actual cases to back their fear up. Is this what all this 'brotherhood' and 'sisterhood' is about? Pitting people against each other to the point of violence and social alienization? No. But it is what it creates and I don't like it.

So, you can throw around terms like 'exercise your right to participate' all you like, but if the consequence of such participation means putting yourself in harm's way or standing out as the sore thumb of dissent, than that ain't cool. Unions represent the majority, but who represents the minority?

[boiler]

Unions have destroyed 3/4 of the town i live in and have taken people who once had good paying jobs and a place to go monday - friday to completely unemployed--

No!! that's not because of unions, that's because of cheap third world labour. Would you prefer we live in a third world?

[boiler]

Pitting people against each other to the point of violence and social alienization? No. But it is what it creates and I don't like it.

In our Union and as I'm sure in most, it is in the Union's constitution that nobody can even threaten violence against a member, or they will be kicked out from the union. That being said, some people deserve to be socially alienated.

[Birdy]

No!! that's not because of unions, that's because of cheap third world labour. Would you prefer we live in a third world?

Absolutely not, but outsourcing labour to underpriveledged nations is a reality and it isn't going to change. As long as unions are delivering a bottom line that make it a no-brainer for the average investor, you'll have plant closures and weekly layoffs. Business is business, it isn't a government wealth redistribution program. I can't help but think with all the 'they're filthy rich though!' comments that come out at strike time some unionists fail to recognize this. It's a war that the good guys aren't going to win and the result is an Iraq... a waiting game for total destruction.

In our Union and as I'm sure in most, it is in the Union's constitution that nobody can even threaten violence against a member, or they will be kicked out from the union.

Sure it may be policy, but it still happens. Whispers behind people's backs, no more 'let's go to lunch' offers, etc. One teacher my mom knows had his car keyed a few years back because he voiced an opinion and nothing was done about it.

That being said, some people deserve to be socially alienated.

For what? Not agreeing with you? Dare I say case in point?

[boiler]

One teacher my mom knows had his car keyed a few years back because he voiced an opinion and nothing was done about it.

That was probably just some asshole. Every union has one or two. Scare tactics like that are for losers that rarley represent the majority in my experience.

That being said, some people deserve to be socially alienated.

For what? Not agreeing with you? Dare I say case in point?

See above, some people are assholes, just for the sake of being an asshole. People who do idiotic things like scratch the paint on someones car, should be exposed. That's a really stupid thing to do.

Sorry abou this travler, good luck with your strike. I hope things turn out well.

Edited September 23, 2007 by Guest

[traveler]

Honk,Honk!

[YearsAlongTheSea]

If you don't like unions, get an un-unionized job. I love my job, but receive no benefits, no QC on safety. We just work on the concept of common sense. It works well. I also work for a contractor building cottages with a crew of no more than 4, so it's a different story, but, you get the drift....

Good luck with the strike traveler...

[bouche]

If you don't like unions, get an un-unionized job.

[color:purple]yeah, that's some really good advice.

[AD]

In our Union it is in the Constitution that nobody can even threaten violence against a member, or they will be kicked out from the union.

the union actually needed to write that down for people to follow it? isn't that also written in the criminal code? isn't it just being a good person?

i've seen plenty of picket lines get violent.