This comes as no suprise.
With the way costs are rising on just about everything,including the food you need to put on your family's table,everyone will be looking for a raise.
And who can blame them!

Atta boy, the taxpayers will just have to find the money. What choice do we have?

So 228 +/- of the total membership of 600 are enough to hold all City taxpayers hostage for that extra 1%, in the last (third) year of their contract.

Maybe we should ask them to do 1% less union-sanctioned dog-f*cking in that last year.

Let's see now, the MLAs voted themselves 28%. "The taxpayers will just have to find the money. What choice do we have?"

"Atta boy, the taxpayers will just have to find the money. What choice do we have?"

Remember, city workers are taxpayers .... unless they live outside the city.....

Moses...are you a manager for the City? And if so, how much of a pay increase did you receive last year, and this year? I'll bet it was more than what you're suggesting your workforce is worth.

Looks like more than 50% of their members voted, that's a pretty strong turnout.

If 50% of union members voted in the next municipal election, that would be about 10,000 votes. Bad political move for the CIty to be so disrespectful of 600 workers.

I find it funny that the city is holding out on that last 1%. When I first heard about the union not liking the package I figured it was over a 3 or 4 % difference. 1% is nothing, give it to the workers. Given the raises the Managers have gotten the 1% is nothing.

And if the mill I work at threaten to strike,they would just shut down.Only government people can strike now without fear of losing there jobs.

Posted by: jonnypg on May 20 2008 11:16 PM
And if the mill I work at threaten to strike,they would just shut down.Only government people can strike now without fear of losing there jobs.

And you have a problem with government workers?

Yes I do, like I said they can strike...the city will just raise taxes to cover there losses.

'Moses...are you a manager for the City?'

What?? Why would you think that Doggy Doo, unless you've been brainwashed into the 'us vs. them' mentality that drives unions against 'management'.

I'm a taxpayer who's sick of the 'we didn’t want to fall behind' and '1% is nothing, give it to the workers' attitude.

The time when I see inside and outside City workers earn a raise is when I'll support a raise.

Ditto for teachers, nurses and every other public sector, unionized employee who believes they're entitled to my tax dollar by doing less, with more.

Why compare to what other jurisdictions received? "We don't want to fall behind." What? you are WAY ahead when you consider how much costs from other places have increased much faster than here.

I would feel better about this if all of the 600 had voted.

Sure, slightly more than half did... but what are the thoughts and inclinations of the other half ?? Don't they count ??

I have always been treated well by the workers in your City... with a couple of exceptions... and they are a good, decent bunch of people who do a pretty fair job considering the limitations they have to work with.

Blessings... :-)

Owl says "..Remember, city workers are taxpayers .... unless they live outside the city....."

I always love that arguement, because at first glance the answer to the problem is to double the number of city workers so we can get more tax money to pay them. And if that doesn't bring in enough tax money hire more people that live off tax money to increase the tax revenue some more!

Wow! Where doo these ideas come from? It's kind of like one step better than a perpetual motion machine where it also generates extra power.

Watch it YDPC, the emissions from that perpetual motion machine will do you in, for they are the purest methane.
Hey, maybe the city can outsource the work the union employees do, after all that is what they do for major purchases, find the lowest bidder. Ah, that was a cheap shot, and I am s-s-s--s-----so sorry. It is not true, the city does buy some things locally. In all reality, the unionized city employees are no different than any of us working class zeros, give them the c.o.l. increase.
metalman.

man...i think they should have just taken their nice decent raise and rolled with it. they need to look around the city and see how lucky they are to have secure jobs that will give them raises! i'd guess that 3% per year is a lot better than the pink slip many local employees have been getting!

It's not just the 1% that is the deal breaker. There was no mention of the sauna breaks or the entrenching of the 3 watchers to one worker ratio.
Kinda fun to listen to the union guys crying about the 1% when hundreds of fellow union workers are being laid off.
What really bugs me about the union stance is the contining bitching about what other civic workers in other towns are getting - stand on your own two feet and negotiate on your own merits, not on the backs of others.

well, if you dont want to pay tax, move outside of city limits!

are union members allowed to vote their free will??? maybe thats why almost half the members didnt show up...its not like they dont care

Pull a Reagan and fire all their lazy asses. Hell, I'll stand around breast feeding a shovel for 1/2 what they're getting.

"The time when I see inside and outside City workers earn a raise is when I'll support a raise. Ditto for teachers, nurses and every other public sector, unionized employee who believes they're entitled to my tax dollar by doing less, with more"

How exactly did you become so knowledgeable about what all of these people do and whether they have earned raises? Do you have any objective evidence to support your position?

Moses- all the people you listed pay taxes too,so don't trot out the "I'm a taxpayer routine"It's crap.
Sum42-where can you live where you don't pay taxes..unless your squatting somewhere or living with your parents- you pay taxes.


Maybe they need to have "Gordo" step in and slash their wages by 15% and then give them a 5 yr contract with 0-0-1.5-2-2.
Personally,in this economic enviroment I think they are Nuts. Who Would have thought gasoline and a loaf of bread would be $5.

quote NMG:

"How exactly did you become so knowledgeable about what all of these people do and whether they have earned raises? Do you have any objective evidence to support your position?"

Watch them standing around breast-feeding their shovels spending 2 days doing something that an aged, infirm quadrapalegic could do in an hour.

(I'm stretching of course, but all you have to do is take a look and you'll see just how little these "workers" do.)

"Watch them standing around breast-feeding their shovels spending 2 days doing something that an aged, infirm quadrapalegic could do in an hour. I'm stretching of course, but all you have to do is take a look and you'll see just how little these "workers" do"

You have actually observed all 600 city workers do their job day in and day out? Man alive, you must have way too much time on your hands, LOL :)

I honestly don't know if 4% is reasonable as opposed to 3%, however, if it were me in that situation, I think I'd have a hard time voting to strike over a 1% difference, especially given the current climate of the City and region. Like one of the others posters said, it would be very interesting to hear some feedback from those that didn't vote, seeing as how only 37% of the membership voted to strike. Sometimes the real message is in the silent voice.

My, how critical can we be? Or, is it jealousy? If it wasn't for all the demands we place our government for everything, we could lay off a good portion of the city workers. But, what are you willing to give up? You want it, you got it and now pay for it. 3%? 2%? What's the difference anyway? Just work an extra hour. Chester