What are we going to do about Lisa Raitt?

[bearinmind]

Like it or not, unions are why all of us are going to enjoy a good wage and a decent retirement in the final years of our career. Lisa Raitt is standing in the way of that.

Now its not her, but her party that is sending her into the fray to bust unions by forcing them to accept wage and benefit structures that any companies see fit and its just a matter of time before she has a direct effect on your employment conditions. She stopped the ALPA negotiations last year, and targeted Canada post and AC gate agents this summer. She has set her sights on the Flight attendants this week, and Im sure it will not change with the ground handlers and pilots in the spring. At this point, business can make a low wage offer, and if we reject, they just send it over to Lisa to use legislation to force us to accept the terms. Its not right and her government needs to be pressured to changing their ways.

There are 2 things that politicians understand and thats money and public opinion, we have the later. I would encourage you to take a minute and write a few words to Lisa and cc your current member of parlament.

To find the email of your MP use this link and type in your postal code and it will give you your MP's email.http://parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Compilations ... x?Menu=HOC
Lisa's email is:

RaittL@parl.gc.ca
We need to tell the people that represent us that they dont represent us, and they need to change their thinking or we wont vote for them again. Please dont think that this is fruitless, as it only takes a minute and it will have an effect.

lets hope they change their minds on busting unions.

[Beefitarian]

While I'm no fan of politicians and understand the damage legislation does to unions ability to legally be effective, not to mention would love to get a pitch fork and get a mob together to take back our freedom!!!

Unfortunately I think what has finally killed organized labour is the public's miss guided fear and loathing of unions.

[LegoMan]

I would have to agree with Beeftarian.

Although the public is now aware of the poor working conditions of certain pilots, unions have been branded already by the public and will get little or no support from the public. There are many small carriers who depend on the union but the problem is the public only hears about the big ones like Air Canada and Air Transat. That is where Lisa Raitt will win.

[System Message]

What killed organized labor is the unions misguided fear and loathing of the public.

[robertsailor1]

yes, when the pendulum swings it tends to go too far. Unions are now a bad word particularly because of the public sector unions that have wages and benefits that are far beyond the private sectors and of course the private sector are the folks paying for these world class benefits.

[teacher]

yes, when the pendulum swings it tends to go too far. Unions are now a bad word particularly because of the public sector unions that have wages and benefits that are far beyond the private sectors and of course the private sector are the folks paying for these world class benefits.

Well said, certain unions have tainted the public's opinion. Unreasonable demands and the sense of entitlment of some labour groups has now been broadly painted on all of us.

[Expat]

yes, when the pendulum swings it tends to go too far. Unions are now a bad word particularly because of the public sector unions that have wages and benefits that are far beyond the private sectors and of course the private sector are the folks paying for these world class benefits.

Well said, certain unions have tainted the public's opinion. Unreasonable demands and the sense of entitlment of some labour groups has now been broadly painted on all of us.

True, what started a long time ago as a drive to get decent wages for exploited factory and mine workers, has resulted in a two tiered system, where unionized workers took the society hostage, for their betterment. In doing so, they have lost the support of non-unionized workers, as well as the public in general.
In some cases, they have destroyed their own future.
This is another century, and globalization is here to stay. Privatization is also emerging. The tables have turned on the unions.

[KAG]

I'm not a fan of unions mainly because they tend to breed an attitude that encourages and protects the weak and lazy. That said I'm even less of a fan of what is nothing less then all out war on the Middle class. Yes I sound like a broken record. Sadly I don't think anything will change until Joe public realizes there are no good jobs left and then they get fired up and scream for reform. It will be the rebirth of organized labour. Until the public stops acting like sheep, this will continue.

[vortac]

Well isn't that the truth. We are all sheep, herded by Lisa Raitt and her Conservative Government that we all voted in because we got all upset the Liberals blew a few million on a scandal.

Nothing but pawns. We vote one way, then get upset over something, wait a few years, vote another, then back the other way. Emotion drives most of us and the problem is we base our emotions on meaningless things most of the time with little foresight for the obvious outcome.

[straightpilot]

Unions are what made Westjet such a successful airline.

Unions are why Honda make such great cars.

Unions are the driving force behind Apple becoming such a tremendously successful company.

[invertedattitude]

I see so much bait here these waters be dangerous

[GoinNowhereFast]

If employers paid decent wages and treated employees properly, then nobody would have to pay unions to bitch and complain. I've never been unionized, and never needed it. Of course I've had shitty jobs, but I just found a new one. Employees are worth what they demmand. If your not getting paid fairly, find a job that does.

[North Shore]

Meh... Judging by the 'balance' of the discussions around the WaterCooler, AvCanada is pretty supportive of 'Canada's new Government.' NOw that Conservatives are actually acting like Conservatives, you guys get all upset? Whatever.

[straightpilot]

If employers paid decent wages and treated employees properly, then nobody would have to pay unions to bitch and complain

Yeah, I thought the $28 per hour that Canada Post was paying high school dropouts was criminally low.

I was really happy when the CUPE union went on strike, and I was even happier when the NDP delayed the government's back-to-work legislation. I thought it was the most heroic thing I had ever seen when the NDP staged that fillibuster. Jack Layton's crowning lifetime achievement - a 3 day delay to legislation.

[GoinNowhereFast]

If employers paid decent wages and treated employees properly, then nobody would have to pay unions to bitch and complain

Yeah, I thought the $28 per hour that Canada Post was paying high school dropouts was criminally low.

We should bring back Reagan style strike negotiations. 1981 ATC strike ring a bell?

[straightpilot]

What I honestly didn't understand about the Canada Post strike, was if the high school dropouts at CUPE thought they were being underpaid at $28 per hour, why didn't they just quit and get a higher paying job somewhere else if they know they are worth more than that?

I don't get it. Can someone help me out here?

[Beefitarian]

They probably did not want to have to move to Ottawa.

[Expat]

Montreal bus drivers make more than 100 k!
Also high school drop outs.

[xsbank]

Some pilots make more than 100K - also high school dropouts. What's your point?

Companies get the unions they deserve.

Why do you lot get annoyed when a group of workers get together to improve their wages and work conditions? Except that organizing pilots is harder than herding cats, we are prime candidates for unions because we cling stubbornly to seniority. Seniority is the single largest barrier to job mobility and the companies love it because it make us stay at shitty jobs longer than we should.

Then again, there are the unions at YUL, all of whom should be shot and p*ssed on. How many times do you arrive at a gate and they are off having lunch or finishing their coffee so there is nobody to marshall you in while you suck fuel at idle?

[WileyCoyote]

Part of the problem is unions haven't changed with the times. Union leaders won't let that happen, it might make the steak dinners less frequent. Government unions have made companies want to stay far away from unions in general.
I've always found, in most industries, it easy to tell who is unionized. The first thing they ask you is how much you get paid, and then proceed to bitch about their agreement constantly. We need something just for group representation, and do away with all the collective agreement and seniority crap that protects lazy, disgrunted people that survive in the union environment.

[Old fella]

There is SFA you can do about Ms Raitt for now.......... but you will get another chance in 4 yrs time, that is, if you are interested.

[straightpilot]

I for one am really upset that my mail is being delivered. I wish that Canada Post was still out on strike, because that's the natural order of things.

[Mig29]

Lisa Raitt forgets that table can turn very quick on her as well!!

People are criticizing unions, and jump on this anti organized-labor wagon, propped by our politicians, but forget that those same government servants make ridiculous salaries, have secured lofty pensions and benefits that most middle class people (unionized or not) can only dream about! And lets not get into "efficiency" of these same servants.

[bearinmind]

You are all mad at unions, I get it.

The problem is that Raitt is interfering with the process of organized labour negotiating.

If you think union employee's are overpaid whiners and are going to take Air Canada down, and they deserve it; then you should express your dislike of Lisa Raitt from interfering in the process of striking and driving up the cost of Aircanada unitl it becomes un competitive.

If you support unions and want to see a group negotiate a fair deal at their own personal risk, then you should express your dislike of lisa Raitt interferering in the legal process that law makers have set out.

The whole point of a strike is a game of chicken, that the employee group plays with the company. The risk is high on both sides and somebody has to flinch. With lisa raitt, she just tells the employee's that they loose and get back to work or I will fine you.

The whole process of back to work legislation undermines employee moral and performance goes down. People start to hate their job but stay for a few more years to get their full pension, and then leave. They leave a culture of hatred and discontent which is what we see today.

Im not saying you have to like the union or their ideals, just write your mp and tell them not to interfere.

[System Message]

Union bosses seldom act in the interest of the members who are forced to join the union and forfeit pay as dues to the union which has no obligation to represent its members and outright threatens those members which express dissent or even question the bosses. The union leadership goes far beyond negotiating salaries and working conditions by endorsing politicians and political parties and policies which are an outright hazard to the well being of the very members they claim to represent. The union boss is not even subject to the contracts they negotiate. The union has killed the chance of any individual to get a fair deal with any of the larger companies and it is just time for everyone to avoid buisness with companies that have a union as best they can.