After workers were locked out New Year’s Day at the Electro-Motive Diesel locomotive plant in London, Ont., union leaders boasted they would keep the plant from operating in the usual way: by physically blocking replacement workers from entering it. On the first day of the lockout, some 200 members of the Canadian Auto Workers were deployed to stop a van with three workers inside from gaining entry; after five hours in the bitter cold, they were allowed to pass. Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, vowed to mobilize workers from across the province to help the CAW stop “scabs” from crossing their picket lines. There was the usual handwringing in the press that the dispute could become “volatile,” journalistic code for violence.
All of this was discussed as if it were the most normal thing in the world, in the 21st century, to be resolving disputes by the use of hundreds of big heavy men to prevent or intimidate others from going about their lawful business: physical force, in other words. Of course, it isn’t normal. It is a privilege largely reserved to organized labour, sanctioned by history and police unwillingness to intervene. And as yesterday’s shutdown of the plant, with the loss of 450 jobs, has demonstrated, it is no longer particularly effective. As a business model, as much as an economic strategy, compulsion is going out of style.
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$16/hr is barely above what McDonald’s pays. At some point you do get what you pay for. Look for some really crappy product coming from Caterpillar in the coming years.
It seems harsh, Brian but something has to give somewhere or all our private sector jobs will end up off shore. This story caught my eye the other day for obvious reasons:
“The salary of a first class constable — a police college grad with four years experience — will be $90,215 after the final raise on Jan. 1, 2014.”
If I recall correctly, when I retired I was making (I’m guessing) about $65,000.00 and change. That was in 2006. It seemed to me to be a fair wage and I wasn’t complaining but when I look at the LPS new contract and the figure set for 2014 I can see why taxpayers are ready to riot.
So I think I’m with Coyne on this one.
My view: At some point we have to get union demands (both public and private) back under control else we are all going to go broke. That includes Caterpillar. Perhaps if we outlawed strikes and lockouts and instead locked all the “bargainers” in a room somewhere feeding them “mystery meat” sandwiches and all the Tim Horton’s coffee they can drink UNTIL they come up with an agreement we might be able to overcome this difficulty. I don’t know but I suspect so.
KeystoneXL is buying pipe from India because they got a better deal than in Canada/USA – I assume? How many American manufacturing jobs have gone south or off shore?
Is it not in Canada’s interest to see the American economy improve at least in the short term? Buy America type programs will benefit Canada by strengthening the US economy so that we can then export like we have in the past. The US is still the world’s largest economy and we Canadians have had very good access to it in the past.
The $16 offer I’m sure was a “bargaining ploy” but the union was so annoyed that they wouldn’t even talk. The $0.00 offer is now on the table and EI will now be the union’s bargaining chip.
From another column on this subject, there was only one class of employee that was going to get $16.50. The company had 5 classes ranging from $16.50 to $34.00. I assume the $16.50 was for starting unskilled classes.
As long as idiots like Ryan and Lewanza are leading these unions, I can see many more people in Ontario losing their jobs.
I always find it interesting that Ryan and Lewanza’s salaries are a well kept secret from the public. Even when they are on television bashing the salaries of other CEO’s, the media party nod approvingly 24/7.
Re: “As long as idiots like Ryan and Lewanza are leading these unions, I can see many more people in Ontario losing their jobs.”
Agreed.