Anti-Union people are predictable and so ideologically focused that really reaching them with accurate information is all but impossible. Finding anti union people is usually pretty easy as they reside in the homes of intolernace like the conservative party in Canada and the republican party in America.
The first lie is that Unions have outgrown their usefulness and that current legislation will protect workers. When was the last time that any representative of an elected government made a choice to better lives and the workplace for working people entirely of their own free will. The only time this type of legislation is actually provided any opportunity to mature is when the Labour Movement pushes the issue. A very breif list would contain, occupational health and safety law, employment standards, workers compensation and free collective bargaining.
The second lie is that Unions only seek to better the life of their own Members. The collective agreements built on the strength of free collective bargaining not only better the lives of Members in the bargaining unit, but add stength and vitality to communities as people have the ability to buy what they make. In addition Unions have a 100 plus year history of aiding the United Way and decades of contribuiting charitable dollars in every single community in which they reside.
The third lie is that government deficits justify attacking the Labour Movement and Unions. Government deficits are just that; government deficits and are never created by Unions and working people, but are created through the ridiculous mantra of corporate tax cuts and excessive spending on initiatives things like jet planes instead of the basic needs of the people like healthcare and education. Add to this the stupidity associated with free trade and a total lack of a manufacturing jobs policy in most of the OECD and you find vast amounts of tax revenue evaporating.
The fourth lie of what could be a list of dozens is Unions make a country less competitive. Competitive advantage is not obtained by demoralizing and demeaning workers it is obtained by working towards prosperity and security for all. The only form of sustainable prosperity has its roots in respect and dignity for all workers and that begins and with safe workplaces where workers are paid a living wage.
The perpetuation of the myths created by the right is easily found when the province of Ontario plans to enact essential service legislation for the TTC, but ignore the call of thousands to enact anit-scab and card check legislation. Coincidence; unlikley / ideologically motivated; for sure.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
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Unions have out lived their ostensible purpose.
ReplyDeleteOut of touch can't even begin to describe what you've just mentioned here. Conservative's are not ANTI UNION...we are logical pragmatic's. What is it that you do not see and understand? Canada and the U.S. have lost so much of our manufacturing sector, thanks to union.s, to Third World no union countries that it has affected the GDP. For most of my years as a rank and file member (today still a member) of the Operating Engineers I heard nothing but how the union fights for the little guy. When I became one of two International Managers for the company I was working for everything changed. Jealousy and personality confliction was rampant. My union turned on me. I was the "little guy" who worked and earned my position at the top and the union then tried to drag me down.
Don't think your dogma is convincing anyone other than those who can't think for themselves.
There is no room in today's economy for a middle man and that is what a union is. I have already proved to my employees the amount of money they could save at the end of a fiscal year if there was no union and no socialist agenda, the latter meaning that health care in Canada is funded with major personal and corporate tax dollars but if the public and private sector's were relieved of that burden there would be more money going into the economy and savings. People could finance their own health care and have a surplus of income that would go to retirement or the economy.
We don't need SOCIALISM or the unions that support it. Keep voting for your liberal socialists. It's the liberals who infected our country with a sect that, by the year 2020, will have multiplied enough to install one of their own as prime minister and this sect cares nothing about unions. Their only concern is the Koran.
Just as a note...I do believe that it was the pathetic long shoreman's union in Nova Scotia who refused to handle goods being shipped to the U.S. military in Iraq after 9/11. You guys would shoot the horse that pulled your plow because you didn't like the way it walked.
And regarding the term "SCAB" (so inmature)the word itself alludes to healing which is positive progress. I consider most union leaders and those sucked in by them, as PUSS..pathetic unionized screaming socialists.
Dave
S.S.Marie Canada