Ah well. If there is a picket line I will see it soon enough...tomorrow morning!

Public Service Alliance of Canada - 150 000 strong!

Edited to add from the website....

quote:

---

Negotiations are continuing between the PSAC and the Parks Canada Agency, the Canada Revenue Agency and Treasury Board, Tables 1, 2, 3 and 5. No settlements have been reached yet.

The union will issue a statement either when tentative agreements are reached or if talks break off.

All members are reminded that strike action has simply been postponed until Tuesday, October 12th. Everyone should be ready for strike action on that day, should it be necessary.

---

[ 11 October 2004: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]

quote:

---

That's a good effort, but I don't think the economic boost argument will win many people to your side of the dispute. If we're going for an economic boost, many people's first reaction will be "why do it through civil servants when you could do it through me?"

---

The answer is because the public didn't earn the raise I did. I delivered program and I'm not asking for an arm and a leg.

quote:

---

The same economic boost could be achieved through any number of targeted government expenditures, and also through a tax reduction.

---

Targetted expenditures and tax cuts are "paper stimulus" and wil NOT have the same effect. 10 billion will but a lot of new cars, employ a lot of people and make real profits for the companies that sell the cars.

quote:

---

Now of course, that doesn't have any impact on other arguments related to your negotiations.

---

Thank you.

quote:

---

125,000 PSAC members on strike while talks continue - Strike suspended at Parks Canada
OTTAWA – Approximately 125,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members have started strike action as of 12:01 a.m. October 12th as negotiations continue with Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency.

PSAC has, pending a review of written documents, a tentative agreement with Parks Canada. Therefore, strike action by the union’s 4,800 members at the Parks Canada Agency has been suspended. The 1,000 members in the Treasury Board Education and Library Science group (Table 5) are not in a legal strike position.

“The union had set a deadline of midnight, October 11 th either to reach settlements or to strike,” says PSAC National President Nycole Turmel. “While talks are continuing overnight, our 80,000 members in the Program and Administrative Services Group (Table 1), 10,000 in the Operational Services Group (Table 2), 10,000 in the Technical Services Group (Table 3) and the 25,000 members with the Canada Revenue Agency are taking strike action.”

PSAC will hold a news conference on Tuesday morning to provide an update on negotiations and strike action.

Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Time: 9:00 a.m.

---

It was definitely difficult to get information off the PSAC website. I'm not on the picket lines today because I am sick but I wish I could be.

Arrived late (6:55). Had a bad cold on the weekend and still feel pretty rough. Sign in. The pickets are a bit thin. Attributed to the expectation that a settlement was imminent and would be announced at 9:00. The weather is beautiful. Cold but clear and when the sun shine warm and exhilirating. Just a hint of winter in the air.

Much discussion with fellow members and related members regarding the Parks settlement. Rumours abound and hard numbers are difficult to get.

8:00 - 9:00 Pickets start to beef up as people come to work. More theorizing and many questions. Discover the best response is, "I don't know but..." and then return to the theorizing.

9:30 - 10:00
No announcement is made. More rumours that the bargaining has broken down again and then counter rumours that its has started up again.

Letting non striking unions in, one member at a time under the protocol signed with management. Management are supportive but sneaky and try to slip people by. Catch them trying every once in awhile. One of our own members tries to sneak in on the wrong line. I catch him and send him to the picket line or the scab line. Scabs are few and have been the same half dozen for about a week.

11:00 Dying for another coffee. Make two requests from a union sister and a brother - get two after a bit of a wait.

11:30 Scabs cross and are heckled and shamed (civilly, of course). More discussions. Restating the case to one another. Tend to get to preachy and bore people I fear but they are compassionate and put up with me. Say hello to many people. Support is good.

12:00 Management seeks ad hoc modifications to strike protocol and provides some reasonable arguments. Refer them to Strike Captains who deny their request.

12:30 Still no hard news. I am here an hour and a half beyond my shift.

1:00 Relieved from my "gatekeeper" assignment.Picket for 10 minutes.

1:15 Leave for the day. Head home and prepare for tommorrow. Feel much better. Cold seems to be abating. Picket duty is healthy work!

[ 12 October 2004: Message edited by: Boinker ]

[ 12 October 2004: Message edited by: Boinker ]

I am sad to hear there are scabs. We didn't have any at Canada Revenue Agency this past month at the Calgary TSO. Some of my coworkers were scabs in 91 but they all are supportive this time round. I am not sure about Treasury Board members yet. I still can't get any updates on the psac.com website.

Most of the designates, CFIA and PIPS members in Calgary are respectful and don't mind waiting in line as late as 11:00 am.

A few weeks ago, I saw one manager return from inside the building with a stack of those big artic wolf fur hooded transport Canada jackets for his employees to wear while they waited.

Canada Post's Union CUPW is extremely supportive as always. Some of the couriers have given us problems over the weeks with their ignorance and attitude.

I was in Saskatchewan for the long weekend and drove by the Harry Hays to see the strike trailer gone...and with no phone call I was optimistic that things got settled.

No such luck. Got a phone call just as I was pulling into my place saying to be ready to go out tomorrow. I am thinking we'd be working for a bit then going out...no such luck. It was a bit chilly for the first part as I forgot to bring my hoody (or bunnyhug, as they call them in Saskatchewan)

Talked with fellow members about nothing too earth shattering - just the usual courtesies and getting to know one another type of things. Very pleasant.

One of the deputy commissioners shows up. Talks with the Strike Captain. Assures her that all is well and the settlement is imminent. We don't believe it.

8:00 - 10:00:

Pickey duty. Managing the line, keeping up morale. Everyone in good spirits though.

10 - 12:30:

Additional pickets, scab shaming (same few as before), line really gets big. Lead a few chants, spirits are up. People are expecting a settlement but the reasons for us not having one are wide open to speculation. They range from the War in Iraq to the federal healthcare budget. Everyone looks beautiful and I tell them so...

12:45:

Sign out and head home for the day.

[ 13 October 2004: Message edited by: Boinker ]

[ 22 October 2004: Message edited by: Boinker ]

Good luck, my thoughts are with you.

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Darren A ]

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Darren A ]

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Darren A ]

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Darren A ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
If you don't like the standard of living that you feel divinely entitled to ,then upgrade your education like everyone else has to do ,get off your lazy ass and get into the public sector that you feel is so much better compensated and get a real job?!

---

I think the troll might've meant 'private sector', that wonderful sector of the economy that has us working all kinds of unpaid overtime and downsizing in order to "maximize efficiency" slash put more money in the pockets of the $1000 dollar suits and over-bloated middle and upper management. ha ha

Canada already has the 2nd highest percentage of lowly paid, non-unionized jobs in the developed world and next to Uncle Sam. Unions are not strong in Canada anymore, so what in the world is this troll wetting his pants over unions or a possible outbreak of living wages for ?. Anyway ?. ha ha

[ 14 October 2004: Message edited by: Fidel ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
The Public service workers in this country belong to one of the most bloated, overpaid and underworked group of individuals in North America.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by steam.machine:
Sounds like Darren is suffering from an acute case of envy!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
...$21 per hour ,3 weeks paid holiday, 2 days sick leave, voulunteer days (whatever the hell that is supposed to mean)
dental medical and a full pension should thank god for their good fortune.
...

---

Actually, I think they should thank their union, and every other collective body of employees who stood up to get those kinds of working conditions.

I also notice, DA, from your profile that you too are a public servant. I mean, I don't think you are a private sector soldier, are you?

Edited to ask "Where is the Boinkland Report for today"?

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Nam ]

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Nam ]

[ 15 October 2004: Message edited by: Darren A ]

Darren I suspect, is a bit of an anomaly... maybe a low level grunt type with a chip on his shoulder.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
Yes I am a soldier. For the last 21 years, and I'll tell you that you whining panty wastes wouldn’t know what hardship and hard work is if it smacked you in the face.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
By the way Piatkowski ,your articles suck.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Darren A:
Well Id like to know what soldiers you met?!
Because I can tell you without a doubt to a man, that they would like nothing better than to come out to the main gate with a front end loader and clear a path through there every morning.

---

What bothers me is that afyer a 16 year fight for pay equity where in the end the highest court in land said there should be one job clasification system for all the employees, we are being asked to accept the union ratification of a two tier system. This is so because language that would provide for harmonization of wages with other collective agreements but for only the managerial stream.

The net of this is that first line managers get 6%-7% wage increases in the first year alone. Everyone else must be evaluated under the old system, which, by most estimates, is systematically underpaying civil servants for the work we do.

The problem with red kneck rhetoric is that it creates expectations in the high circles that if you did a scientific study of the work we do and developed a pay scale based on its results we would all be working for less. Unfortunately when people actually do the studies they discover the opposite. That is they reveal that public servants should be paid more.

Now you have to ask yourself what was is in the minds of our elected representatives or chief bean counters. You do an efficiency study. It calls for job reclassification. You spend a few millions developing one. You apply it to front line managers. They rightfully get a big increase. But then you decide that its just too much money to make the public service "efficient" by your own standards. You then can argue that this "inefficiency" is justification for paying workers less!

Where is the integrity, the "core values" they are always yammering about in such a rationale?

You have to scratch your head and ask who is thinking about public services rationally? Does it make sense to penalize the workers and reward the managers? Does it make sense when you have 7 and 10 billion dollars surplusses and can easily afford to redress inequities your own best experts tell you need to be redressed to do nothing? Does it make sense after spending hundreds of millions in establishing agencies operating a arm's length from Treasury Board to then allow Treasury Board to impose ancient negotiating regimes steeped in rancor and past grievances? Does it make sense to tear up signed collective agreements as they did with the Auditor General's agency? Such is the tyranny in Ottawa. It is highly detrimental to the public interest and to those who are contracted to protect it.

I am voting "NAY"! on this ratification vote.

Damn the money lets go on strike until they try and legislate us back - then we'll see some real parliamentary "efficiencies" I'm sure.

[ 16 October 2004: Message edited by: DonnyBGood ]

Still...It's good to be back in a situation where people can shake off the usual management bullshit and show some solidarity. Gets the blood flowing...especially the blood circulating in the grey matter. People that I never suspected to have any sense of unity or solidarity suddenly showing great maturity and cogent analysis. Damn I love that shit.

One of things that happened in the last week was the practice of Managers...changing the rules regarding sickness and medical matters. Suddenly we need a note from the doctor...for a cold. And so on.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sine Ziegler:
The military personnel in our building in Calgary are more than respectful of the picket lines. The only attitude problems we ever had were with the RCMP. They like to think they direct traffic rather than the picket captain

---

I'd like to have words with the picket captain who was making my bus anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour late most of the past week... the Jerk.

We were sensitive at our building to the non unionzed workers who needed to get in and out of the building for work puposes ( construction, couriers...) but when they showed disrespect, we toughened the rules.

quote:

---

Well Id like to know what soldiers you met?
Because I can tell you without a doubt to a man, that they would like nothing better than to come out to the main gate with a front end loader and clear a path through there every morning.

---

You might want to be a bit more sympathetic the demands of PSAC and their strike line. From what I understand when treasury board sits to determine what type of pay increase you and I get, one of the major factors they look at is the level of increases public sector employees have received. If PSAC wins a 15% increase for example, it is likely that we will see a similar increase. All I can say is go PSAC go. We are not unionized but the concessions won by the union affect us.

As for clearing a path with a front end loader; I admit that most people do not like being delayed for any reason; I find that it helps to keep in mind the fact we share a common case. (In the interests of full disclosure; I got caught by surprise the first day of the strike and wound up missing a meeting because of it. I admit I may have had some uncharitable thoughts while I waited.) The strikers at my base have been good. We have one gate that is now designated military only, if you are in uniform, you just drive through. The extra traffic at that one gate causes some delays, but if you go a little early or late, you miss the rush.

quote:

---

Yes I am a soldier. For the last 21 years, and I'll tell you that you whining panty wastes wouldn’t know what hardship and hard work is if it smacked you in the face.

---

This sort of higher than thou attitude, bugs me. We all joined of our own free will, and we are not that hard done by. We get OK pay, and very good benefits. (You say you have 14 years in, you are 6 years from being able to retire and you get 25 vacation days a year; there are lots of people who work hard on civiy street that would like to have those benefits.) As for hard work, in my experience the military is a feast or famine type job. There are lots of times that we work long hours in crappy conditions; we spend lots of time away from our families. There are times at 3 in morning, freezing my ass of in an OP that I think I could be making the same or better money working 9-5 in an air conditioned office. However the flip side of that is most of the time it is pretty good go. Part of our work day often includes going to the gym; there are plenty of sweet courses to go on. There are lots of people stuck working in cubicles that would pay good money to spent time doing things that are part of our job. For every time I thought the job demanded too much, there are a couple of times I have thought to my self, “I can’t believe they are paying me to do this”.

There are plenty of challenges in the military, being challenged is hard work, however it is that challenge and the chance to make difference that brings people in to the CF. I think that losing sight of our role and position in society and allowing ourselves to slip into a us and them mode of thinking is dangerous, and not in line with the principles of a liberal democratic society. Assuming that civil servants are whiny and soft is a sign of that that thinking.

[ 16 October 2004: Message edited by: Rand McNally ]

quote:

---

Airforce wog I take it?

---

quote:

---

Airforce wog I take it?

---

That is for CRA employees a bad deal all round.