Comments on: Murray Dobbin asks a lot of Toronto strikers http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/ Chris Lawson's personal website Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:11:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JACK BUDDIN http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-508 JACK BUDDIN Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:16:53 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-508 In 1989/90 college faculty went on strike; one of the issues was the accumulated sick- leave bank. The arbitrator,M. Teplitsky (?) resolved the issue thus: - faculty hired before a given date [1991?] were "grand- fathered", no change to their sick leave plan - faculty in this category could buy- out their sick leave at a reduced rate [75%] of their accumulated sick leave days - faculty hired after a given date [1991?] would accumulate sick days, and could use them for illness; however, they would not be entitled to a cash payout when leaving the college. The City of Toronto, and its workers, should consider this option; it has worked in the college system. In 1989/90 college faculty went on strike; one of the issues was the accumulated sick- leave bank. The arbitrator,M. Teplitsky (?) resolved the issue thus:

- faculty hired before a given date [1991?] were “grand- fathered”, no change to their sick leave plan
- faculty in this category could buy- out their sick leave at a reduced rate [75%] of their accumulated sick leave days
- faculty hired after a given date [1991?] would accumulate sick days, and could use them for illness; however, they would not be entitled to a cash payout when leaving the college.

The City of Toronto, and its workers, should consider this option; it has worked in the college system.

]]> By: Chris Lawson http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1644 Chris Lawson Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1644 What can I tell you? There's bad behaviour on both sides but people seem willing to forgive people who spit on picketers or hit them with their cars. Rude strikers on the other hand, are grist for a very big mill. It certainly tells me how disciplined we have to be even in the face of abusive residents.I know I started seeing hatemail and hate tweets days before the strike started and even messages complaining about line ups at the drop-off depots on the first Monday (when there isn't normally curbside pick up).I would say that some folk were certainly spoiling for a fight. Just follow #TOstrike on twitter and you'll see what I mean. Are they organized/members of the same political party? I don't know. What can I tell you? There's bad behaviour on both sides but people seem willing to forgive people who spit on picketers or hit them with their cars. Rude strikers on the other hand, are grist for a very big mill. It certainly tells me how disciplined we have to be even in the face of abusive residents.I know I started seeing hatemail and hate tweets days before the strike started and even messages complaining about line ups at the drop-off depots on the first Monday (when there isn't normally curbside pick up).I would say that some folk were certainly spoiling for a fight. Just follow #TOstrike on twitter and you'll see what I mean. Are they organized/members of the same political party? I don't know.

]]> By: Brendan Weston http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1645 Brendan Weston Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1645 Folks who're anti-union knee-jerks tend to have real hate-ons for public sector ones, and no picket-line politeness will win them over, tis true. But the close-down-the-mine style of the 'enthusiastic' picketers is a PR disaster. The city is not a private or public mine.My striking friend was at city hall and had to talk down a young woman on the line from blocking strangers who were not even going into city hall, just using an underground passage. Rude boys rule at trash dump lines, and though most other lines are polite, I suspect the other locals feel making a stink at the dumps is their best leverage. Pity.One rare good line tactic: taking trash bags out from car trunks before the drop area, then putting them on the sidewalk--forcing managers to carry it for 10 yards. Helping citizens while annoying the managers, fine. Insulting and harassing citizens, REALLY not; and to me it suggests a lack of self-discipline or worse. Citizen enmity weakens you. Folks who're anti-union knee-jerks tend to have real hate-ons for public sector ones, and no picket-line politeness will win them over, tis true. But the close-down-the-mine style of the 'enthusiastic' picketers is a PR disaster. The city is not a private or public mine.My striking friend was at city hall and had to talk down a young woman on the line from blocking strangers who were not even going into city hall, just using an underground passage. Rude boys rule at trash dump lines, and though most other lines are polite, I suspect the other locals feel making a stink at the dumps is their best leverage. Pity.One rare good line tactic: taking trash bags out from car trunks before the drop area, then putting them on the sidewalk–forcing managers to carry it for 10 yards. Helping citizens while annoying the managers, fine. Insulting and harassing citizens, REALLY not; and to me it suggests a lack of self-discipline or worse. Citizen enmity weakens you.

]]> By: Chris Lawson http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1646 Chris Lawson Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1646 Yup. Absolutely. The 'we only have to win at the bargaining table' approach to running a strike doesn't work in situations like this. Yup. Absolutely. The 'we only have to win at the bargaining table' approach to running a strike doesn't work in situations like this.

]]> By: Brendan Weston http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1821 Brendan Weston Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1821 Folks who're anti-union knee-jerks tend to have real hate-ons for public sector ones, and no picket-line politeness will win them over, tis true. But the close-down-the-​mine style of the 'enthusiastic' picketers is a PR disaster. The city is not a private or public mine.My striking friend was at city hall and had to talk down a young woman on the line from blocking strangers who were not even going into city hall, just using an underground passage. Rude boys rule at trash dump lines, and though most other lines are polite, I suspect the other locals feel making a stink at the dumps is their best leverage. Pity.One rare good line tactic: taking trash bags out from car trunks before the drop area, then putting them on the sidewalk--forci​ng managers to carry it for 10 yards. Helping citizens while annoying the managers, fine. Insulting and harassing citizens, REALLY not; and to me it suggests a lack of self-discipline​ or worse. Citizen enmity weakens you. Folks who're anti-union knee-jerks tend to have real hate-ons for public sector ones, and no picket-line politeness will win them over, tis true. But the close-down-the-​mine style of the 'enthusiastic' picketers is a PR disaster. The city is not a private or public mine.My striking friend was at city hall and had to talk down a young woman on the line from blocking strangers who were not even going into city hall, just using an underground passage. Rude boys rule at trash dump lines, and though most other lines are polite, I suspect the other locals feel making a stink at the dumps is their best leverage. Pity.One rare good line tactic: taking trash bags out from car trunks before the drop area, then putting them on the sidewalk–forci​ng managers to carry it for 10 yards. Helping citizens while annoying the managers, fine. Insulting and harassing citizens, REALLY not; and to me it suggests a lack of self-discipline​ or worse. Citizen enmity weakens you.

]]> By: Chris Lawson http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1820 Chris Lawson Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1820 What can I tell you? There's bad behaviour on both sides but people seem willing to forgive people who spit on picketers or hit them with their cars. Rude strikers on the other hand, are grist for a very big mill. It certainly tells me how disciplined we have to be even in the face of abusive residents.I know I started seeing hatemail and hate tweets days before the strike started and even messages complaining about line ups at the drop-off depots on the first Monday (when there isn't normally curbside pick up).I would say that some folk were certainly spoiling for a fight. Just follow #TOstrike on twitter and you'll see what I mean. Are they organized/membe​rs of the same political party? I don't know. What can I tell you? There's bad behaviour on both sides but people seem willing to forgive people who spit on picketers or hit them with their cars. Rude strikers on the other hand, are grist for a very big mill. It certainly tells me how disciplined we have to be even in the face of abusive residents.I know I started seeing hatemail and hate tweets days before the strike started and even messages complaining about line ups at the drop-off depots on the first Monday (when there isn't normally curbside pick up).I would say that some folk were certainly spoiling for a fight. Just follow #TOstrike on twitter and you'll see what I mean. Are they organized/membe​rs of the same political party? I don't know.

]]> By: Brendan Weston http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1643 Brendan Weston Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1643 The media are not the city inside-outside workers enemies here. Polls initially showed about 3 in 4 citizens against the trash haulers, but less combative on other workers, I recall. If it worsened further since, the right is not to blame. A greater enemy than the right-wing think-tankards was the leadership of the local that told picketers at the temp. dumps that harassing and venting at citizens as if they were scabs was a viable tactic. Epic PR fail. Most now see Miller as too soft, and favour contracting-out collection. The media are not the city inside-outside workers enemies here. Polls initially showed about 3 in 4 citizens against the trash haulers, but less combative on other workers, I recall. If it worsened further since, the right is not to blame. A greater enemy than the right-wing think-tankards was the leadership of the local that told picketers at the temp. dumps that harassing and venting at citizens as if they were scabs was a viable tactic. Epic PR fail. Most now see Miller as too soft, and favour contracting-out collection.

]]> By: Brendan Weston http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers/comment-page-1/#comment-1819 Brendan Weston Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 http://cmkl.ca/2009/06/29/murray-dobbin-asks-a-lot-of-toronto-strikers#comment-1819 The media are not the city inside-outside workers enemies here. Polls initially showed about 3 in 4 citizens against the trash haulers, but less combative on other workers, I recall. If it worsened further since, the right is not to blame. A greater enemy than the right-wing think-tankards was the leadership of the local that told picketers at the temp. dumps that harassing and venting at citizens as if they were scabs was a viable tactic. Epic PR fail. Most now see Miller as too soft, and favour contracting-out​ collection. The media are not the city inside-outside workers enemies here. Polls initially showed about 3 in 4 citizens against the trash haulers, but less combative on other workers, I recall. If it worsened further since, the right is not to blame. A greater enemy than the right-wing think-tankards was the leadership of the local that told picketers at the temp. dumps that harassing and venting at citizens as if they were scabs was a viable tactic. Epic PR fail. Most now see Miller as too soft, and favour contracting-out​ collection.

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