Monday, July 16, 2007

The Vancouver Country Club

Say what? A slow down of city services? How can they slow it down any more from the status quo? They are already paid a ridiculous amount of money to do menial work and then they bitch and complain that 6 weeks paid holiday is not enough, every stat holiday off is not good enough and the best benefits package around just won’t do. The fact that they would be considered grossly overpaid in any other industry but union work for the city and the fact that they do not see this blows me away… seriously, get over it. Try working in the real world where one is not paid for overtime, one is lucky to get anything more than 2 weeks holiday, where one works on Easter Monday AND Boxing Day, oooooh, yep, that is what the rest of us do. As much as I hate mayor Sam Sullivan I have to say bravo for not putting up with the unions bullshit this time, stick it to ‘em Sammy! It sucks that the city will possibly reek of garbage and filth for a few weeks but doesn’t it already reek like that here?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before you start trashing city workers I would suggest that you get some facts straight. Many of the skilled labourers and tradesmen (ie mechanics) make less than they would make in the "real world". Workers do not receive 6 weeks of paid vacation as you claim. It is in fact 3 weeks. Depending on the union, some workers earn an additional 3 weeks of time off by working an additional half an hour a day without pay.

As far as your "real world" where one is not paid for overtime and has to work Boxing Day, I would suggest educating yourself about the labour code and finding yourself an employer who respects it. In todays competitive job market there are many excellent employers who not only follow the labour code, but also offer their employees many benefits.

Maybe you could research your rights as a worker instead of posting your blog entries during office hours, as you apparently do based on the posting times.

Oh, and the next time you are enjoying those two weeks of vacation that you do get, any of the stat holidays you aren't forced to work, or the weekends remember you wouldn't have them without the labour movement and unions!

Anonymous said...

Unions are for losers! In todays society, who needs em ?-they are strangling the province with their demands

Anonymous said...

Lets look at the wages and benefits received by the union members of the CUPE in question and the private sector-the union demands and what they are getting are way out of line with reality

Anonymous said...

I know people who work at city call and not only are the wages/benefits they receive way out of line, their expectations have no basis in reality.

Anonymous said...

I'll remember that the next time a work crew is out front of my store and they start work at 9AM and close up shop at 0230PM..or the time we walk past the Jericho lifeguard station and the lifeguards are working on their garden or playing with their bicycles.

Anonymous said...

Bumper sticker:

"I don't need a union, I have an education"

Anonymous said...

per the first comment-how many sick days do they get that the must take or lose? And, remember the uproar over the loss of thr 4 day work week? get a life !

Anonymous said...

Ouch. Sounds like someone has a beef.

Dear Anonymous...if that's your real name...why stick to the cowardly approach to vent your rancor as an anonymous commenter? Afraid that your work internet activity might come under question? How do you know that JJ is posting from work...and why make the assumption that her work condemns this type of activity. Rather a large assumption...unless of course you know exactly where JJ works and your comment is some form of veiled threat? Naughty!

As for your comment about city workers making less than their counterparts in the "real world", if they have an issue with what they are getting paid by the city then maybe they should try getting these magical high paying real world jobs and stop complaining. Oh I'm sorry, that's common sense. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads and forcing them to work for a low wage/salary.

With regards to the 6 week/3 week vacation comment, there are any number of jobs out there who only pay for 1 weeks holiday and it is part of the labor standard that employees working an 80 hour+ week for the standard 52 weeks receive a 2 week vacation package...but some employers don't honor that. So a 3 week paid vacation package is far better than most. I agree that the 6 weeks paid vacation comment is a little harsh...but indicating that a 3 week vacation package is standard only further illustrates that city workers have it better than a good number of people. Perhaps you, Anonymous Commenter should do your research on common labor and wage practices in British Columbia. There's that "Real World" poking it's head out again.

Something you could ask the next city worker you bump into, unless you are one and you know the answer to this already, why only strike in the summer? If you're going to strike why wait until the weather is nice and there isn't much of a threat of being rained on while you are on a picket line improving your tans and harassing the very public who's taxes pay for your salary? Do you think this endears us to your cause?

By the way, I haven't asked, are you currently in a union? Are your comments based on experience? Do you have a union affiliation? Is this where your comments are coming from?

Before you start making anonymous comments on a blog that you haven't commented on before, introduce yourself first. It's boorish behavior to force yourself onto a conversation without so much as a "Hello". This isn't an op-ed piece in a syndicated publication. It's one person's voice and one person's opinion. She's entitled to it. Go away if you have a beef with it...and really...why are you reading it to begin with?

Have fun on the picket line. You have no sympathy or compassion from this commenter.

Anonymous said...

Yeah....what she said!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

So we are forever indebted to the unions for past achievements?
It's like a friend who keeps cashing in on that favour they did for you in 1975, over and over again... What have you done for me LATELY?
Unions are essentially mafia nowadays, as is any system where seniority supersedes merit.

J.J. said...

Hey Anonymous: Newsflash; Boxing Day is NOT a stat. Don't throw the 'labour code' at me when you have so obviously never read it once in your life.

http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/facshts/stats.htm

I am not even going to begin to argue with you on the rest as you are obviously somewhat delusional.