The NDP has always been a coalition of blue-collar union workers and urban environmentalists slash intellectuals. Typically, the latter portion of this coalition sat around and watched while the former supped at the government tittie, and basically tolerated it because of romantic, pot filled memories of reading Althusser back in the 60s and early 1970s. Recently, however, the rise of the Green Party, and the greening of the Liberal Party, has given these people other places to park their support. In the future, therefore, the folks at the CLA might just find themselves left to the tender mercies of the Free Market if they don't show a little more couth.
12 comments:
Ah yes, the most important thing to the unions is anti-scab legislation - over their jobs. Now think about it - they want to keep their jobs but are screaming and chanting about anti-scab legislation.
Nice start - warn employers that you are going to keep striking and keep damanding. Uh huh, we'll get employees elsewhere - it's too costly to keep up with union demands.
Are these people stupid or what?
Telling people you will do something (in this case, vote in favour of a ban on scabs) and then doing the opposite isn't being "centrist" -- it's just being duplicitous.
Clearly Dion and his handlers didn't think the rally was a meaningless "mob of beer-swilling unionists." They thought their guy would be greeted as a champion of the little guy. They mis-calculated -- badly.
Liberals still haven't learned their lesson from 2006.
What a nasty display of nastiness for Dion!
Perhaps the legislation should read that all contracts requiring renewal should be dealt with and ratified 1 year before the expiration of the present contract.
Forced arbitration would solve many of the lame issues that keep coming up. Striking is indicative of people who care nothing for others around them.
If anyone used tactics like that on the streets, they'd be arrested for bullying or some other thing.
2 years ago my family was terribly impacted by a strike of Thames Valley School Board Educational Assistants.(EA's)
While our "normal" kid was allowed to attend school, our "autistic" kid was prevented from going because the EA's went on strike.
My partner was unable to work for 2 months over it, at the time I was going through cancer treatments and was caused undue duress as well, and this caused insurmountable damage to our relationship with the school staff/EA's and teachers.
The unionists aren't afraid to cause damage to anyone that's in their way. They'll step on any toes, and sleep with anyone to get what they want.
Would these very same people walk out on their wives/husbands in a time of dispute?
Ha, and now we know the reason for the massive divorce rates here!
They just don't get it do they? Unions with their constant and most times unnecessary demands have screwed themselves.
The American auto co's have had some 20 years to come up with fuel efficient, affordable cars. A lot of the union workers drive trucks.
Duh....
Centrist?!? Maybe to Taliban Jack or Stalin, but geeez this guy is as sinister as they come. He should be called Lefty McLefterson. Not even the CBC can say that without smirking.
Strange.
I don't recall Paul Martin having problems sucking up to Buzz Hargrove during the last two elections when he thought it would win him a few votes.
What was Dion thinking yesterday? A month after voting down anti-scab legislation he gets up and announces that Mario Silva, the very same Mario Silva who deep sixed the legislation, will introduce new pro-scab legislation.
Cynical politiking or what!
Glad to see a bunch of Liberals showing their true spots.
Man, cut the anonymii, BCL.
I've been long in favour of anti-scab legislation, but fell out of love with union activism when it was apparent that some unions were no longer interested in even broaching other issues beyond pay and job security, which, try as they might, will not resist the forces of economic sustainability. If the NDP thinks the dialogue we should be having about this can only be one-way, than fuck them.
Of course they're beer-swilling unionists. They'd HAVE to be drunk to NOT understand the supreme logic and undeniable leadership skills of Stephane Dion. Or maybe they were fully sober, and were smelling just too much bullshit in the air?
Perhaps it's time to end unions. They were necessary during the dirty 30's, but they aren't now. The union leaders, Hargrove, et al and soaking these people. They have to invent issues to keep themselves going.
Enough already - after all, we know how much corruption there is in unions.
Sure twinkle toes. Click your heels together three times and unions will magically end.
Must be a sale on crack today for anonymii.
Seriously, what kind of reasoning leads to suggesting that we return to conditions that existed in the 30's as a solution to what the 30's are responsible for creating in the first place?
Labour groups blame Ottawa for the job losses by allowing interest rates to rise...
Okay. Stop right there. Interest rates to RISE? The current rates are still the lowest they’ve been in… well, almost forever. Sorry, all credibility went straight out the window with that one.
Probably a dumb move for Dion to show up at such a rally if he was expecting support, but given the take-away is that unionists aren’t that fond of him, maybe it’s a wash. Some people might consider that quite a good thing.
Screw the unions. My company is MY business, so why the hell should unions dictate to me who can and can't work there? If you don't like the wages, fine - bugger off and go work elsewhere if you think you're being treated unfairly. Hargrove is a parasite.
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