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Ford Desecration Pt IV - the march to Detroit continues
December 6, 2011 - 10:33am
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Re: the talk about KWT - I don't think Kristyn's going anywhere other than councillor for a long, long time. She's made herself very visible on a number of issues, including (but not only) Pride, and if/when she reoffers in 2014, it won't even be close. She'll be posting Kyle Rae-like majorities, and it would take dynamite to lever her out. She might be willing to hunker down in her ward for a few terms, build up her reputation, and so forth, before she ventures on to other political office. She has a sure thing in Ward 27. Why risk it?
Shelley Carroll, on the other hand …
I havent been looking at this threads.
It was the cover that got my attention.
Is that 'march to Detroit' a commonly used phrase?
No one, nobody, can match Detroit. Not even get in its league.
I agree KenS.
In other news....
Fees proposed for swimming, Riverdale Farm, library DVDs
Del Grande has a point.
It's not a commonly-used phrase. I used it in the sense that Ford and company see Detroit as not what to avoid, but more of a goal.
But not quite in the way he (probably) meant it.
Heavens to Betsy, if the government is going to start taking care of vulnerable people, then we might as well quit now! /sarcasm
Sadly, there are already user fees in lots of places in Canada. I'm glad people in Toronto think it's beyond the pale (as it should be), but some library users already have to pay to borrow DVDs or request books, to go to swimming pools ,etc.
Link to previous thread-chunk (See? It's not rocket science!)
CUPE National: Move Your War Room To Toronto Now! (YouTube)
Ford's War on Children
Rob Ford may be responsible for an increasing police budget in more ways than one.
Early Christmas morning, police were called to the home of Mayor Rob Ford about a reported domestic dispute. It was the second such call in as many months.
On Oct. 25, less than 15 hours after Ford himself called 911 regarding the intrusion of the comedy show This Hour has 22 Minutes on his property, officers from 22 Division were back at the Etobicoke residence on a domestic call.
On Christmas, Ford’s mother-in-law called police between 4 and 5 a.m. to report that the mayor had been drinking and was taking his children to Florida against the wishes of his wife, Renata.
TTC chair Karen Stinz experiences a sudden burst of rationality. It's also the only way to save the misguided Sheppard subway proposal which is not - surprise! - going to be built for free by the private sector.
Karen Stintz argues it makes more sense to put the LRT underground only along the most congested part of the route, in midtown, while building it on the surface in the spacious suburbs.
Ah, Godwin goes dyslexic.
If Matlow is a "left-wing NDPer", does that make me the secretary of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada?
City and outside workers reach agreement
Thoughts?
Initial thoughts: ironic that Miller couldn't avoid a strike while Ford could. The workers knew they'd get locked out, and the public largely wasn't on their side.
When has the public ever been largely on the side of the civic workers?
Can't offer too many thoughts until we hear about the details of the deal. Will the parties be able to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s? Is it a deal the members will accept?
The City negotiators definitely played hardball with their "final offer" - threatening to stop remitting dues to the union among other cutbacks to the benefits and working conditions. It was a divisive offer pitting parts of the bargaining unit against each other while making the union itself pay a very high price (that I'm not even sure was "legal").
Why not legal, Pol2? Mind you, I don't know the Ontario legislation. Are you referring to the refusal to apply the Rand formula once the parties acquire the right to strike/lockout?
No, I was referring to the idea that the employer would impose a new 4-year "agreement" which did not include application of the Rand formula at all. I was questioning whether an employer can opt out of dues check-off without the unions permission?
In a strike or lock-out situation, there is an essential services regime. Those employees who are working are still paying dues I think. In my bargaining unit, dues rose to 30% for those who are working uring our two strikes against the Harris Cons. I don't know the mechanics of it but those dues were remitted by the employer when we were on strike. (The union also paid the employer 100% of the premiums for a bare-bones medical plan in both our strikes if I'm not mistaken but there was no requirement to do so).
Well Pol2, the OLRA seems to say the following:
That would mean that the Rand formula is a mandatory clause of the collective agreement - so, when the statutory freeze period is over (as it must be before there can be strikes or lockouts), there's no requirement to apply the Rand formula, even for those employees who remain at work.
Unless I'm wrong. But this has happened to one of our units before, under a different jurisdiction with a similar provision to Section 47(1).
Generally speaking, support for unionized workers declines as fewer people enjoy the benefits of union membership. I'm referring specifically to CUPE's militant stance during the last round of contract negotiations, when they were dealing with Miller, who negotiated in good faith.
The impression we have (talking about this in a bar with some friends), without knowing the details of the deal as yet, is that a deal was struck because Ford is willing to say "Fuck you!" to the workers. While a protracted strike was possible last time because Miller would put up with it, and continued to negotiate as garbage piled up in parks. not going to the province to get back to work legislation passed, for instance.
Thanks for digging that up Unionist. It shows that their proposal to scrap the Rand formula in any new collective agreement was hot air.
Are you saying you prefer Ford's approach to Miller's?
God, Spector, that was gratuitous.
I'm honestly trying to understand her point of comparison between Miller and Ford.
Now you've got me wondering and re-reading Sineed's post. I could have sworn she was praising Miller by saying he negotiated in good faith, and was willing to pay the heavy price of free collective bargaining. But maybe I'll let her comment herself rather than continuing with my Talmudic exegesis...