Oh no workers got a pay raise and signing bonuses. I thought the economy was bad. The city workers should just get a fair deal too. Now is the price of lumber going to go up? Shame.

Apples and oranges. The city workers are coming off a contract that saw 16% increase in wages plus other improvements. The sawmill workers last contract saw limited wage increases and they gave up a bunch of things like a couple of paid days off(floating holiday & boxing day) If memory serves they also gave up some holiday pay.

0-0-2 more than adequate for city workers this go round. If they want more money give back something or head to Staples to make the picket signs.

CUPE doesn’t concession bargain. Make sure you ask the city to pro-rate your garbage fees when it isn’t getting picked up. Why should you pay for snow removal when you will be out there with a shovel clearing your own street. Managers will be doing any weekend work so that should save the taxpayers money since they are on salary. I don’t think the city workers even have a floating holiday to give up. At least a limited wage increase isn’t a zero.

The threat of a cupe strike doesn’t scare me in the least. Snow plowing will be declared an essential service so that will get done.

Loss of garbage service could not happen at a better time, things like meat scraps and other non compostable stuff can sit happily frozen in the shed all winter. Normally we don’t compost a lot in the winter but that can change as soon as strike/lock-out notice is given. Any plastic and paper products that are not recyclable can sit in garbage bags for the duration.

I really hope Beth James digs her heels in for 0-0-2 and does not back down at all. The cupe workers better ask Santa for socks, tougues and long underwear if they want more.

Please give it a rest dodo. Your anti union whining is getting old.

One other thing bater, I never said anything good, bad or indifferent about the Canfor/steelworkers settlement but will- Kudos to them on the last contract and this one. When the US market crashed the union shared some of the pain that the companies were going through by asking for less and even giving back a little. Times are better now and the companies are sharing the success. That is give and take and a good example of what labour negotiations can be.

Public sector unions on the other hand are like a fat kid sitting in a grocery cart at the check out line whining and crying if they don’t get another chocolate bar to shove in their chubby cheeks each and every time they go to the store. Now think of the check out line as contract negotiations and you get the picture.

BTW which public sector unions do your dues go to:D

sparrow crap go chirp about something else we don’t bother you down at timmys worry about what you make and if you don’t like what someone else makes tough crap get a better education or get a better paying job…

Good bargaining for the steel workers. Sawmill guys deserve raises for all their work. City Workers don’t make a ton of money and if you want to bitch about the pace of their work, look no further than the management that directs them. Sparrow is right about more money in the private sector. You don’t join a union for big paycheques, you join for security, pension, benefits, and fair treatment in the workplace. If you don’t like the union don’t join one! Collective bargaining is a human right……..get over it.

Thanks for your concern ice but am doing just fine and Starbucks is more my style.

If you happen to one of the rolly-polly city workers mentioned above remember your sausage like fingers will stay warmer if you wear mittens,preferably with string between them, and not gloves when holding the picket sign.

Sparrow, sounds like daddy set you up. Probably never had to work a day in your life.

Yes bentely I was set up by my parents but not with money or other material goods but what is seemingly an increasingly rare commodity- a strong work ethic. As in: “if you want something be prepared to work for it, the more you want it the harder you will work.”

That ethic seems to be overtaken these days by a sense of entitlement… Johnny down the street got a new bike so I want one too! A few years later it’s the city workers in the next town got _________(fill in the blank) in their contract SO THAT IS WHAT I WANT or I will hold my breath till I die!!