I watched the mayor on the news, grinning about how the union picked saturday to begin strike action.

Apparently it’s funny to her that so many PG citizens get put out because of her inability to negotiate a contract.

Uh… last I heard there were two sides in this dispute.

The mayor is so lacking in competence she has hired a lawyer from Vancouver to negotiate on behalf of Prince George. I’ll bet they are paying over $500 per hour plus expenses….would be an awful stupid lawyer that settled the contract in a hurry. Ka-ching even more money leaving our community.

Yeah she looked “Real Upset” at the situation, smiling ear to ear! She has NEVER wanted to reach an agreement as this is all to show her “strength” for her future push to Provincial Politics. Sad the Citizens of PG pay for one corrupt Womans ego.

Why do people always bring up the lawyers fees without mentioning the union negotiators bonus’ too? They are not in any hurry to settle this either. Brothers unite! Ka-ching!

Posted by: Jim13135 on December 13 2013 6:25 PM
The mayor is so lacking in competence she has hired a lawyer from Vancouver to negotiate on behalf of Prince George.

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Personally, I think it’s preferable to have an outside party involved with the negotiations. It’s pretty much a conflict of interest to have management doing the negotiations when they end up using the negotiated settlement as a basis for their next increase.

Whether or not we needed a labour lawyer is another question.

Who was the guy on the radio during the news that said it was “all about money”? What side is he on? He said they agree on all parts except money and that the whole strike was over money.

interceptor said “Why do people always bring up the lawyers fees without mentioning the union negotiators bonus’ too? They are not in any hurry to settle this either. Brothers unite! Ka-ching!”

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taxpayers pay for the management lawyers’ fees versus the union members paying for the union’s negotiators … now do see the dofference

My point was they are rewarded too – hence no hurry to settle. Your difference is noted though :)

Those responsible for clearing the roads must’ve already been on strike too!

Love the comment on the union negotiators bonus. Currently sitting at 0 , 0, 2, and 2 % and no bonus even being considered. Don’t know where some people get their information, but a little homework may be a good idea!

axman: “Personally, I think it’s preferable to have an outside party involved with the negotiations. “

Agreed, especially since taxpayers took it in the ear on the last deal.

Who gives a crap out about swimming pools & skating rinks. If they don’t get this crap off the roads before it gets cold this sh*t is gonna go from bad to completely screwed.

not who Im talking about raresense, try again.

anotherside wrote: “taxpayers pay for the management lawyers’ fees versus the union members paying for the union’s negotiators … now do see the dofference”

Actually not.

Taxpayers pay the union’s membership wages. The unions membership is interested in their net pay, after union dues which pay for negotiations, etc. When they look at a settlement for a new contract, they want enough money that ends up in their pockets.

The money for running a City, contract negotiations, union dues, etc. all come out of taxpayer pockets, and you can extend that right down to living expenses, vacations to Mexico, visits to grandparents in Campbell River, snowmobiles, cars, food, etc. etc.

Taxpayers give civil servants (isn’t that an interesting old term … “civil servants”?) the money they can live on.

The same as someone should be thankful to the owners of Canfor or Superstore, or the local Toyota dealership, etc. for providing a job and a livelihood, civil servants should be thankful to the owners of the City, which are, in the final analysis, the City taxpayers.

Sometimes it is important to sit down to think about the many drivers of the whole economy from private enterprise to public enterprise.

;-)

So, now that we understand each other, whether you are a Council member or senior administrators or union employees or even outside contractors, we can talk about why taxpayers get pissed off on occasion.

Those taxpayers who are not employed by the City have no authority or power when it comes to people doing their City jobs well, or getting along with each other like a happy little family at the Hall.

That is part of doing their job well just as operating a machine is part of doing a job well.

If one cannot get along well within their place of work, that is everyone’s responsibility, not just one person’s or one side’s.

That is our expectation. At least it is my expectation. When that does not happen, and I do not know the details of what happens at the negotiation table, I have no choice but spread blame around to everyone.

Of course, when I see the union members coming off a 5 x 3% past agreement which has likely put the PG unionized civil servants, including the excluded civil servants, at or near the top of the pay scale in similar sized communities across BC, I get a biased view right away.

The City gave way to what ended up being a very nice pay package during what ended up being a recession. It is now time for some reciprocity and coming back down to reality. But, I do not see that happening. All I see is the typical positioning rhetoric and some nonsensical excuses for the behavior.

Get over it, everyone at City Hall and do the job taxpayers expect of EVERYONE who draws a paycheck from us, included and excluded employees.

Using this glorified Bully system, really teaches our kids how to be a bully,, see it works in business,, that’s what we are teaching them.

Those civil servants pay taxes and services too. Not only civic taxes but provincial and federally as well. Government is business no matter what form of government you want to pick. Miss manage any business and that business will soon be in trouble. What the City of PG needs is new management because the money coming in is being mismanaged. Start at the top and work your way down. Trim all the fat and then some otherwise let it go broke and pickup the pieces later!

You you so right smiddy. If one goes to the city’s snow removal prority map you’ll know in an instant the crews were on a slowdown since this snow dump started. Like Queensway, Ferry etc. should have been cleared days ago.
And or for this debacle don’t blame the mayor for everything:
CUPE National is running the show here because they cannot have a 0% settlement here as it would set a bad precedent.
We need a Ralph Kline or Rob Ford type here to work for the taxpayer, not some little girl with a trinket shop.

“Miss manage any business and that business will soon be in trouble. What the City of PG needs is new management because the money coming in is being mismanaged”

It most certainly is. I can tell that by just looking at a five year at 3%/year increase contract how badly it is managed.

The union, the managers and the Councillors do not give a chit about the taxpayers.

The Mayor ran on what appeared to be a 10% cut in expenses promise. She was supposedly an experienced Councillor. Well, we learned very quickly that she was not all that experienced and she still is not. Just a lot of hot air. No substance.

Then her right hand person, Stolz, was more out for his political career rather than looking after his store and the City. Got caught with lack of leadership by example with the failure to pay city property taxes for a few years.

So, how are we going to solve this problem of inefficiency and incompetence at City Hall? Certainly not by leaving it in the hands of the electorate. We have seen too often that does not work very well.

“Miss manage any business and that business will soon be in trouble. What the City of PG needs is new management because the money coming in is being mismanaged”

You have that right….$590,000 of taxpayers money is ear marked for tearing down two little buildings downtown. Do you remember the city suing the owners of the old Columbus Hotel for $200,000….to recover the cost of demolishing the building??

$2,000,000 of taxpayers money to build a set of stairs up to the public library….wow.

I don’t know about the rest of you but these numbers just don’t compute for the jobs being contemplated. Two guys, one backhoe, one dump truck….and those two old buildings downtown would be gone within a week. So who is making all those profits out of that $590,000 budget. ???

“So who is making all those profits out of that $590,000 budget. ???”

-If you want to find a stinking rat in government.. Follow the money..

Posted by: sayitaintso on December 14 2013 6:36 AM
“Using this glorified Bully system, really teaches our kids how to be a bully,, see it works in business,, that’s what we are teaching them.”

Huh? There is a process laid out, offer, counter offer, offer, vote, strike, etc.

You accept the offer or you don’t, pretty simple stuff. I see CUPE is only going to strike one day and then only do their ‘job’ that is in black and white and take all their breaks. Last time I worked with a city crew they had to take off for coffee break and come back to finish up, so I think they already are only doing their ‘job’ and nothing more. There always are exceptions to the rule but I doubt any of the clerical staff work over their breaks

My comment was not about that process, nor was the story above at the top of the page. My comments are about,,
the union using the bully system,, give them what they want our they will strike,,
and the city, using the bully system,, closing the places to the public,, where the union plans to set up picket lines.
What is all this teaching our children??

Sure lots of people jealous of unions. Are you employers skimming profits off the top while throwing peanuts to your employees, rather slaves.

Maybe you are people lacking the initiative to acquire a skill set to get a union job.

Maybe you are employees with substandard pay and no or little benefits while your employer makes out like a rapped ape with the profits. Maybe you should be thinking about unions. Hey the happiest people are living in Denmark with about a 70% tax rate. Something to think about.

Jealous of unions,, LOL dont think so. Most people I know, think they are out dated, you know, like the 8 track players.. good in their time, but not worth much today. There is government offices that fight for peoples rights, work safety, work disputes,an so on… So whats left for the union to do? Oh ya, money., Like you said, makes out like a rapped ape, on someone-else,s hard work. You want good pay,and benefits,, try working hard!!