Random Thoughts…
CUPE strike…
Still trying to decide if I like the parks and public spaces unmown. Some areas, with the wild flowers and all, look O.K. I did notice that much of the grass behind the Red Bull fencing has been cut. You know, there are a lot of people who need services in this city, more important than trash pick-up, and cut grass. I really hope this thing ends soon for their sake.
Thing is, other cities and their unions are having similar arguments. I came across these posts the other day while following some links from other blogs. The mood of these posts is similar to a lot of the comments in the Star. I’m not a labour lawyer but, the precedent that has been set by, arguably the strongest unions in North America, by renegotiating contracts with GM and Chrysler may cause a whole lot more problems for all workers, union or non-union.
How people work and get paid, how services are provided by their city government are important issues moving forward. A citizen has expectations of their government. Will we have to change those expectations?
Cities back to nature…?
Came across this photo album. Pretty cool take on Detroit. The photos made me think of this documentary I saw on CBC a month or so ago.
I really can’t say there’s any areas of Windsor going this way but, we all know the possibilities are endless.
Speaking of endless possibilities…
Last year I wrote a post about Youngstown, Ohio. They have a very active blog community and there are some good ones (check the links on the right side). A big thing in that town is the city’s decision to return many lost neighbourhoods to a natural state, clearing the land. Interestingly, I was looking at Youngstown recently on Google Earth. There is evidence of new housing being built. Youngstown is a city that counts on its university as a source of pride and a source of energy. Recently the University of Windsor and St. Clair College have been given money to grow their campuses. I hope these new developments can help our city. Maybe education can be our new industry.
Post Feedback
Tough post. I heard rumours that they might prevent ford test track from being mowed due to the birds nesting there
I’m sure this is not to pressure CUPE only recognize that we’re going to have to make our communities more sustainable
Remember the Detroit gardens started out as meadows in the same abandoned fields and now they have one of the countries best urban farmers programs
Mark Boscariol
That wasn’t a rumour, that was in the Windsor Star.
It’s a tough spot to find yourself in - the middle of negotiations between two parties who are screwing everything up they touch!
I find my support bouncing back and forth between the city and CUPE. The city has bungled everything they’ve touched up until this point. Why should I feel that they’ve suddenly got it right with these labour negotiations? Then, when I find myself firmly back on-side with my working class brothers and sisters on the picket line, one of them pulls some boneheaded stunt (that is seemingly OK with their union leadership) and I question why I’m wasting my time worrying about a scenario that both sides seem to want to screw up.
I can only imagine what this weekend will be like with the busloads of out-of-town union folks who have no attachment to Windsor! If you’re reading this out-of-town-union-folks, please respect the fact that Windsor is at the lowest point it’s ever been, and behave in a civilized manner. We, in turn, will respect the message that you’re here to portray. Okee dokee?
I’m lucky that I have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines on this one! It’s been what, 9 weeks? I still haven’t had to pay someone to remove my trash (I’m separating now: rotting kitchen waste that isn’t compostable is in the Herby Curby, waste that doesn’t attract animals in garbage bags next to HC, recyclables in boxes in my garage. It is really making me want a more Guelph-style recycling program here in Windsor) and I am more aware than ever of my consumption and disposal patterns.
This is week 10 for Local 82 aka “Outside Workers”.
I have to disagree that the City has bungled everything. It’s the City that has bended. There are two outstanding issues: pay raises and post-retirement benefits. Pay raises are a minor issue and come down to how they are paid - periodic lump sum payments or a percentage increase.
On post-retirement benefits the City has gone from no benefits for new hires to benefits until age 65. They also agree to provide lifetime benefits for temporary full-time and regular part-time employees hired before Jan 1, 2009 that become regular full-time employees.
If new hires want to fully pay into a plan that will provide lifetime benefits, then that option should be provided to them. But the City shouldn’t be paying a single cent into that. People complain that politicians never think long-term. Well, here we have a majority of Council thinking long-term (30 years plus) and they are getting harassed. You just can’t wiin.
Given the economic climate, the offer in front of Local 82 is a good offer. Iron out the wage issues (combo of percentage increase and periodic payments), take what the City is offering on post-retirement benefits, suggest that the membership approve the offer and get back to work. Plus, you get a chance to improve the contract in two years instead of three or four. Take it and run.
Funny how facing your waste makes you consider how much you generate. In PEI we have curbside composting every other week, trash pickup every other week and recycling pickup once a month. I always enjoy hauling a half-full bin to the curb every other week — makes me feel like I am succeeding on the reduce side of the three Rs. Those weeks (like last week) where the trash is overflowing I always wonder why (and have been known to take a peak inside the bin on occasion) just to see what is contributing the landfill.
All said and done, I need to do better — and facing one’s filth is a good way to realize that it is not all filth (compost) and that less packaging is more than just good for your pocket book and the environment; it is good for the soul.
I’m hoping one of the silver linings to this entire situation is that people of this city will get a sense of how much waste they produce and to some degree or another take some steps to minimize their wasteful ways. Unfortunately, I think many many other people - ie. the backwards thinking blue collar hick element of our city =P - wont be bothered with taking any look at how they live and will simply use the alternative disposal methods to deal with their trash instead of waking up to how much trash they produce and taking action to change it.
You may be surprised to learn who generates a lot of waste in this community. Stereotypes don’t help the situation.
An email making the rounds (presumably by Labour, judging by their rosy account of NDP history), assumably in preparation to rally the troups for Friday’s march on Red Bull…
One parking strategy for the march from assumption Park is to park half
way between City Hall and assumption park.
Remembering the 82 strike
Years of labour peace have transformed militant collective struggle into the struggle to acquire that “72 inch HDTV. So when workers display militancy, their actions are seen as unreasonable. Some workers support city workers, as long as “we think of the children and their right to play in the park”, as long as “my garbage is picked up”, as long as”I can go to my Spitfire game, as long as i am not inconvenienced, as long as they behave according to my consumer driven mania to possess the latest gizmo, and attend the latest circus blah blah . So a lot of workers have fallen lock, stock, and barrel for the mayor’s propaganda.
Back in the olden days when we were as tough as nails, the same propaganda routines were used upon auto workers, but we shook them off, the way a dog shakes off fleas
We had a strike in ‘82 to advance the gains that many of our consumerites reaped the benefit of without the necessity of striking. So how can the midliners and other younger workers really understand the attitude of those tough harsh days that produced tough hard collectively united workers.
The local elites and their national cousins tried their best to derail the ‘82 strike.
Bert Weeks, Windsor mayor Nov 2, ‘82 “A strike at chrysler could have a devastating effect on our community”
Windsor Chamber of Commerce. ‘The intelligence of your counterparts in the United States prevailed last Tuesday and we would like to think that your membership is just as smart”. “A strike would cause irreperable harm”.
Windsor Star Nov 3, ‘82 “Chrysler is in no position to have parity with GM and Ford”
Windsor Star, Nov 4, ‘82 - “Independent Analysts” fear that … “A strike by Chrysler’s 10,000 auto workers … could be the torpedo to sink the Chrysler corporation.”
Windsor star, Nov 4, 1982 Gord henderson and john Coleman
“If a potentially ruinous strike hits windsor, the Ontario government could order an end to the walkout to safeguard the autoworker’s future. Fears at both government levels are that a protracted strike will bankrupt Chrysler. henderson is stiil up to mischief, with support of graston Vanderdoelin and the rest of the scabby bunch that infest the Star editorial board
Windsor star Nov 4, 82, - Eugene Whelan pleaded with Chrysler workers to at least postpone the strike which he fears could destry chryslers and
the comunity
Nov 5, 82 - . Otto Jelinek, Tory critic. “There is a unbelievable contrast” between the reasonable approach addopted by the UAW leaders and the “total lack of cooperation” of the canadian UAW leadership. NDP leader Ed Broadbent took a hands off approach as did liberal industry minister Ed. Lumley, saying it was a provincial matter. NDP leader Bob Rae supported the union position.
Following is the Windsor Star led attack in ‘82. It could have been written yesterday
Windsor star nov 8 , 82 many fear the company will be forced into bankruptcy or move operations out of Windsor.
Nov ?. Richard Fuschi said “the suspicioun is strong that chrysler corporation has relied on public opinion and the threat of federal intervention rather than its own initiative to secure an equitable agreement.
11 year old tran longmoore interviewed on the picketline refused to ackowlege the bitter cold, saying were used to this, weve been on strike before.
We won the strike and the American union gave its chrysler workers what we got. It was a sad day for UAW president Doug fraser.
I think the fact that the city workers got to relate to each other for at least 8 weeks away from a coercive workplace situation has already made them a stronger union. they were there when we “convinced” Dwight Duncan to kick in the 3 billion to the GM pension fund.
let’s start planning for the next civic election and clean out the stables.
If I understand the above what it boils down to. Organized strike to get what you want. If not then stay out and blame everyone else. If Company “A” or Municipality B stands up to it they are tyrants.
Gee, no wonder strikes get so personal. How about acting like adults and finding a COMPROMISE?
I think strikes are warranted when employees are horribly treated or do not have necessary precautions taking place in their work areas or if the pay and/or benefits (if they are lucky to have them) is not in line with the work or profits being taken in.
But in tough times we all bend a little or even (gasp!) give back a bit in order to ride the turbulence. When good times return we push for better pay and/or benefits. Sure it might take a bit of time but that is the way the real world works.