Anyone who has an interest in critical thinking can see the NS Union culture for what it is. Power hungry morally bankrupt hypocrites who won’t be satisfied until they get legislative control as well as complete and utter control over “their” workers and “their” jobs.
These aren’t union jobs. The union doesn’t own them. Government jobs are jobs of the people and for the people. In my mind it comes down to a simple premise: In a province where you can’t opt out of union membership, unions have no basis to complain about “democracy” and their perceived loss of due process.
Unions are not legislators, and although they got pretty close with our previous NDP government, I hope this step by our current administration will ensure that NEVER happens again. If unions believe in democracy now perhaps they’ll ensure employees can opt out of the union.
Maybe they’ll ensure there are secret ballots held on topics of dues and certification to ensure no one is intimidated. They’ll care about employees’ say in what political parties are given their dues. Democracy is needed, indeed.
Workers deserve protections from predatory unions just as much as they deserve protections from crony capitalism. —Freedom from union cronys, please
This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2014.
Nice one. Hate on the Working Class. In one of the brokest provinces in the country.
As a government employee you can’t opt out of the union, but you can have your union dues given to a charity instead, while still benifiting from the collective bargaining power the union provides.
Well, irrespective of the bitches now and those still to come, the government has leveled the union’s playing field.
As a single person without legal dependants, I pay a LOT of tax because of the bullshit the unions have created. Things now have changed for the better. I’m happy. I win. Haha!
I’m not an NDP supporter but…did I miss something? When/how did unions get ‘pretty close’ to becoming legislators under the NDP? When the bus strike happened it dragged on for months all because the NDP were afraid to pick a side, calling it a ‘municipal issue’. The NDP’s lackluster stance on unions – despite claiming to be a supporter of unionized workforces as a large part of their platform – is WHY I will never vote for them again. So please share any info I may have missed about the NDP snuggling up to Unions and making them on-par with MLA’s.
Will never understand how people can be against working folks wanting to have more power over their lives. Too many people happy to just blindly obey and shuffle along to the grave. I get it – public sector union = communism and we’re all going to die. Righto.
The bus strike was municipal, not provincial.
Never heard that being in a union was mandatory. Most collective agreements state membership is not a requirement for employment although one would still be required to pay union dues regardless of being in the union or not. Some people opt out for a variety of reasons. I have worked for many organizations that had unionized workers and not one of these required the employee to be a member of the union. Many people never read their CA so this fact is lost on most. Check under your ‘membership’ article.
Right, I get that. But if the NDP really sucked as much union ass as OB suggests, they would have demonstrated as much whenever they had the opportunity. I was just using the bus strike as an example as it stands out the most in recent memory – and the NDP didn’t even weigh in on the issue except to say that it was a municipal issue and they wouldn’t comment on it. I genuinely am curious as to how OB concludes that the NDP nearly made unions legislators or gave them more powers.
Unions are to the Few Democrats as Lobby Groups are to the other political parties. They use their money and voting power to influence decisions. They don’t always win every battle, but they do the play the game.
As I said on another post, I stopped believing in the myth of trickle down economics (so beloved of neo-cons) a long time ago. Applying the same logic to public sector unions, I’m not prepared to blindly accept that a fatter pension fund will automatically result in shorter wait times, better health care and kids that are functionally literate and can do basic math. That’s just so much baked wind and magic beans.
As Ivan pointed out. so called “trickle down economics” is a ruse to enable what is in reality a trickling up of money to the CEOs, millionaires and billionaires of the world. On the flipside, well-paid elected union executives and union staff have a vested interest in maximizing union dues (more trickling up!) by maximizing demands.
So, while I am, in principle, in favour of collectivism as a way to ensure “fair” wages and benefits for those of us not in the top 1%, I can’t help but think that the adverserial employer/union relationship, with employees, consumers and taxpayers caught in the middle, needs to change.
This article points out the value of unions but recognizes the need to restructure them as something less strident:
http://ideas.time.com/2013/01/29/viewpoint…
UNION DEMOCRACY
“If unions believe in democracy now perhaps they’ll ensure employees can opt out of the union.” Freedom from union cronys (sic) please.
Sure, no problem. Let anyone who wants to opt out of the union do so on one condition: They must reject all the benefits obtained by the union, including fair wage scales, protection against ruthless management job-cutting in the interests of “downsizing” in order to make the coupon-clipping shareholders happy who, of course, couldn’t care less about the workers’ conditions. They are interested in one thing and one thing only: their oown personal profit. Just don’t let the scabs be free-riders on the backs of the unionized working man. If they do not reject all the benefits obtained by the union, maybe the union can find something for them in the clothing factories of Bangladesh where, as we all know, “democracy” flourishes in full flower.
Speaking of “democracy,” the first right-wing/fascist dictatorships do – think Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and so on – when they take power is smash the unions. Why? It’s not difficult to grasp. Unions present the only organized front against dictatorships whether of a political or economic persuasion (they usually go together in any case) which, in spite of all your prattle about “democracy,” is what you really appear to want. Are you a right-wing sympathizer, by any chance? Are you a fascist? Do you have a soft spot for Mussolini? Write back soon.
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
Critical thinking! If this is an example of critical thinking I think i’ll crawl into a hole and give up now. Sure Unions need to fix their sh@t but getting rid of one the only barriers to our corrupt government rolling us over and f@#king us is not the answer. Get a grip and try “root cause” and you may become acutely aware of the word “propaganda”! If you still hold to your “uninformed” views….. I have some magic beans to sell you. Pfft
Also, since you consider yourself so much an Artisan of Politics OB I have a challenge for you. How about you determine the real motives behind our glory god Premier. Since very little money (in the grand picture) will be saved after amalgamation occurs with the Health Authorities and Bargaining Groups, why would someone want to do it? Well perhaps it will make Nova Scotia more appealing to privatized Health Care Management company’s to move in and gobble up our money meant to actually provide Health Care. If you want an example of this crap, look at New Brunswick and Horizon Health (a Multi-Billion dollar Company) who has successfully siphoned off NB’s Health Care System because of corrupt politicians like McNeil. I am not a soothsayer but I predict a comfortable Board position in McNeil’s future…. With whatever Corporation he sells us out to. Hey maybe Northern Pulp is scouting for new Board replacements!
so everyone bitches that there are no good jobs here and that they need to move west…but then when the government moves to legislate what union you need to bein in order to claw back benefits and sick days everyone thinks it’s a great idea. Pick one people. Support the workers who HAVE good jobs or support the ones leaving.
When I hear da word union = snoozefest!
All workers should have da same rights. Why come da metro transit workers get to go on strike whenever they want? I need to get on da loser cruiser to get to my job. If I went on strike, I’d be fired because the world of commerce goes on with or without you. Socialism works. I’m a commie @ heart. Free edumacation would be nice and equal pay for all. Errybody equal. Might just be da bubblay talkin. Freixnet sparkling white tonight.
1.5 litre, bitch
Dat wasn’t even funny, Ivan. Like rully, work on ya jokes cuz if an oversize chainsmoking gingersnap loses his sense of humor, den what do you really have left?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riXsdXn8K9…
In closing,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdOPBP9vuZ…
I lurve this misogyny-free haven!
Look to the Guilds! – No government control, internal legislation by its members, self-responsible, profit sharing, equal and fair compensation, comprehensive and integrated training & education, and absolutely no unemployment for anyone willing and able to work because all work is available to each applicable guild, and there’s always work to be done…
The guilds have long been infiltrated by dark wizards, captain. It is known.
The Spice Must Flow!
The Akkaris Plumbers Union is the worst!
DUDE. IT’S ARRAKIS. SMDH.
FACK OFF! – We’re the fackin’ Plumbers Union of Arrakis – not the fackin’ Arrakis Plumbers Union. Wankers. Splitters.
^^ “formerly Plumbers Union” now known as the sand spitters syndicate
Some selfish people only think of themselves by doing a lot under false pretenses…If on the up and up there’s never a reason to hide.