Sir Bandelot

I am in OPSEU. Before that I was in CUPE. Before that, I worked for 16 years in a non-unionized environment. They tried to force us into one of their unions a couple of times, and we successfully fought them off. But when I moved to another city and changed my job I had no choice but to join the union. So this is my experience- with over 1000 employees of diverse skills, they couldnt care less about me and my small team. We are a small group of trained engineers with a unique job. The union does not understand us and doesn't care to. Others in the union are cleaners and clerical workers, and some technologists. No one wants to do what I would call a good job, theres no incentive to do well, or to try and make any improvements to the work process. With the union everyone knows that they won't get any recognition for doing things well, because management is not allowed to. The union will not allow it. With no incentive to do well the place is a dump. The union has just become a self-serving entity, providing jobs for the union management who are indifferent to the everyday work we do, who's main interest is in preserving itself and if that means manipulating the workers, they do it. Read the history of unions, they are rife with corruption. In some areas organized crime has their hand in the unions pocket. To skilled workers they are simply another layer of beaurocracy that gets in the way, and gives management an excuse not to care either, because they can use the excuse that their hands are tied by the union.

Only in America.

Canadians are not too interested in the monarchy, most people don't see a need for it. What matters to us is hockey. As long as Canada can whip some US ass in hockey, be that the mens or be that the womens, we have reason to feel proud... And our beer is better, so

Unions are the backbone of the communist workforce. Trotsky advocated the creation of unions as a means of organizing the proletariat into a national uprising agianst the bourgoise. Check out his essay, The proletariat and the Revolution. Communist parties helped create labour unions. There is a difference between trade unions and labour unions. A trade union is like one that has all plumbers, a specific trade and part of its purpose is to ensure that only qualified plumbers can work as plumbers. Trade unions go back to a time before communism. Labour unions have got all kinds of worker in them. They are not concerned about the skills of the worker, and in these unions everyone gets the same wage increases, same benefits and work under the same contract, no matter what their specific job is. They are created by the ideas of communists. These unions are not good for people, they don't encourage anyone to work at a higher level than the bare minimum, because there is no benefit in trying harder. In fact they discourage people from working harder, because that would set an example that would be expected from others. One of the reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed, it crumbled to pieces from the inside.

No problem. I'm not criticizing you, just sharing my point of view. I can even be wrong... it happened once ;^)

What, you want to be Japanese now. If you know anything about their society you would know, corporations rule every aspect of the peoples lives. To the point that the laws of the corporations overrule the laws of the land, because simply put, if you want to live there you have to work, and you better do what your employers tell you. Otherwise you get blackballed, and no one will ever hire you. No room for 'mavericks' there. The big companies call all the shots, right down to the last detail for the lifestyle of the little man. All designed to improve the efficiency of the worker. Fascism, utter fascism. And you want to talk about housing prices? Forget about it. Some of the working class there live in a 5x7 foot cube. Just big enough to lay down in. And don't they have one of the highest suicide rates, for youth and adults. Yes they do.

Yeah what you guys are talking about is so deep. You can't have kids because of immigrants... what an idiotic excuse. For your information I have 3 kids, and I've been working for over 22 years. You have lost your bet. I won't say how old I think you really are, because I like kids, and I dont want to be mean to them. Unless they deserve it. But you seem ok, Mr. Canada. A little dumb perhaps

Why dont we have more kids. Because, we don't want to. If people want to have kids, they will. You don't need 3000 square feet plus a "huge yard". Most of the people I know who don't have kids, don't want kids because they are having too much fun going on vacations to mexico and Florida, and buying fancy vehicles, and going out socializing. Hedonism and parenthood, do not go well together. If you want to find the reason for your state of poverty, dont forget to blame businesses who only care about the bottom line, no interest in the community because their headquarters is in another country anyway. And the fat cats are doin alright jack, they don give a sheit about you. They will hire the one who will do the job for less. See thats where the unions you hate would come in and protect your job from the employer who wants to make it part-time or 3 month contract, so's they don pay no benefit. I hate the unions too but I hate the rich capitalist abuser who calls himself boss, even more. But still, if you get a good education and work hard, or even no education but work really hard, you can get somewhere. And maybe someone, a real man will explain to you where to put your peepee, so you will eventually figure out how to have a baby, for sure. Tell you what we have here, just a generation is spoiled complacent whiners. What you want, maybe the government will come and buy you a house? How about do some frikkin work, like your daddy used to do, bust your balls for 8-10 hours a day in a steel company, for 15 dollars. Then come home and listen to your spoiled lazy ass kids whine about how they don't get enough stuff to play with. They get a university degree and go back to working in a restaurant. Stupid is as stupid does. Lets blame others

It didn't seem to be a barrier to the guys who used chinese workers to build the Canadian railroad a century ago. http://archives.cbc.ca/society/immigration/topics/1433/

What no habla? Let me explain it to you in your native NB tongue ...

When you say, "What's your point?" that is questioning my point. When someone in the thread says "Bring me a china man off the boat who can do what any skilled canadian can do you will find they are bellow mediocre." that is who I responded to. No, I do not think that an isolated case of good or bad workers from china can be used to make a case, even a dozen is still an isolated case to me. That is my point. The poster should get off it, some chinese work well. The team leader shares an equal role in getting the work done, especially when the team is not willing to comply. One person cites a negative example, one a positive one. When you jump on the negative one too you will have some credibility. The question is, what is your point. Don't answer, I know and couldn't care less

If someone lets a polecat in the henhouse, they should be held responsible for what happens. At the very least families of murder victims in cases like this one should be able to sue the judge and the legal system for incompetence. Especially if there is no evidence of rehabilitation, and if the perpetrator is considered likely to re-offend. Lawsuits would only bring in money, I know but it would be one minimal step towards bringing them to accountability for their erroneous decision. We pay taxes for these people to do their jobs, and if they fail in ways that bring severe harm, they should be held liable.

You mean read about all the things you think are good? Naa

Thats a nice anecdote about Somalis. Talk about the pot calling the kettle smut. Somebody else gives an anecdote, I can give an anecdote. When you stop jumping on others for doing the very things you do yourself, I might take you more seriously. I will continue to do my own thing here whenever I feel like it, and add my own comments to these debates regardless of you questioning my point.

But he dont want the job chachi. How many times we gotta tell you dat

The chinese immigrant at my former place of employ in Toronto was the best machinist I've ever seen. Although he could not speak english well, he soon became highly respected by the old-timers, all white non-immigrants. He also kept quiet and minded his own business.

Exactly why they should not simply relax and allow it to continue to get worse. Not so much the total number of murders has increased, Toronto seems to have about 40-50 murders on average every year. But the impression is that gun crimes have. A couple of things happened in the past few years that might have influenced this- Hells Angels set up shop with the mayor literally laying down the welcome mat. Then a short time later a major burglary took place at a TO gun shop: A van drove through the front window in the middle of the night and cleaned out the store, taking mostly. Pretty obvious what that was all about, eh? No need to bring em across the border, this is how we do it Chicago style.

Just a link would be fine. Is it ok if I also put in my two cents

Its not Marxism. Joe Biden gave an idiotic response showing he does not even know what Marxism is. If he did he would have put that stupid question away and made her look like a fool. Marxism requires a peoples revolution every twenty years, constant revolution by the workers to overthrow the current establishment, because of the potential for corruption that inevitably occurs in any system. According to Marx the class war never ends, it is only put down temporarily. Until the rich are utterly eliminated and society eveolves into a classless communist state. Marxism requires constant violence. Then there is the concept of collective ownership. You don't own anything, like property, house etc. all is owned by the state.

Money can't pay for a life. If my kid was killed by someone like this, I wouldn't want their money. Even if they did that what kind of money would such a person be able to make? None, who wants to hire them. They would just live on the street and eat at the soup kitchen. That is a daft idea. Here's another, completely different take on this problem, aside from the "blame immigrants for all our problems" mentatlity that seems prevalent amongst some of you meatheads- "The suspect has an extensive criminal record and was legally prohibited from carrying a weapon at the time of the shooting, Giroux said." "This is an extremely violent man with an extremely violent history," he said, without elaborating on what kind of charges the suspect has faced in the past. "Anyone should approach with extreme caution." http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTV...=TorontoNewHome You get the idea? This person was well known as extremely violent, with an extensive criminal record, and he's on the street and now a woman is dead. Blame an ineffective legal system that holds some people for a minimal time while senselessly penalizing others who are not violent. Legally prohibited from carrying a weapon- Baaah! Did his frikkin parole officer know where he was? Of course not. Tell you what, anyone who is on parole and commits another crime, that judge and that parole officer should be doing time also. Then you'll see some asses getting covered. Pay them money- Baaah!

I don't know much about "Kyle Weese", the alleged shooter who just turned himself in, but he don't look like no immigrant to me. He's certainly not black, or even brown. I wonder how many immigrants were at that bar.

Seems like the real problem in cases like this is not to be blamed on immigrants. They like anyone else just want a job so they can live. Ask yourself why people with degrees are applying for a job that doesn't require one. And I say this knowingly as in my own field of work we encounter this all the time. People with good qualifications can't find work that they are trained for, and out of desperation will take lower paying jobs, that don't even require a degree. Employers are all too happy to hire at lower and lower wages... every time a job is vacated, especially one where a long-time employee who has had some wage increases over the years leaves the job, this is only good for the empoyer who wants to pay the least they can get away with and still get the job done. No my friend, the big problem is not so much the immigrants coming here, its the jobs going over there! And good luck finding someone in management who cares enough to listen to your complaints. They are not in the habit of doing things that please you, nor do they require your approval. And remember if you leave, you'll have to get in line with 80 or more other job seekers, most of whom are overqualified and willing to do the job for less than you. So your choice is obvious...

Yeah or some maple leaf coldcuts

Right, and Obama does sound a bit like "bomb", so...

I believe the answer for the Liberals has nothing to do with choosing one of the "Old Guard". The best thing they could do is bring in a fresh face, preferably a younger person, good looking, well informed and outspoken. How about Bono