Is Harper going after the unions?

[Wilber]

"As much in fixed income as possible" is still usually a minority of the portfolio. A "conservative" portfolio might have 30-40% invested in FI. See: http://www.thedividendguyblog.com/pension-fund-asset-allocations-you-can-use/

Interest rates hit historic lows throughout the last decade forcing plans to rely more on the markets. It's not by choice they do so.

Why are you still talking about now bankrupt companies? We are talking about public service unions that are bankrupting and oppressing the Canadian taxpayer and private sector.

The title of this thread doesn't specify but I don't see why public service plans should be managed any different from private plans. If they are, they shouldn't be.

The argument is to stop giving DB pension plans out to new hires. No one is saying we should renege on the current DB plans.

Two tier pension plans are like two tier wage rates, they allow companies to use one group of employees against another. It's no wonder employees don't like the idea.

[Hydraboss]

Yeah out of 20 million workers, 10 accidents happened last month. Wow. The answer to this is higher salaries, pensions, and benefits and to hold the public hostoge. Especially the cubical workers.

After all, out of 20 million workers, you might get a WHOPPING 3 serious accidents a month.

I'd wager there's a better chance of you getting hit by lightning than there is a serious workplace accident.

You are just falling for media hype, and union spin.

You haven't got a clue what the hell you're talking about. As usual.

My business IS safety, and I can tell you your numbers are ridiculous. And so far from accurate it's laughable. A whole "3 workers out of 20,000,000", eh?

Can you even SPELL "statistic"?

Stick to something you know. Not sure what that is, but stick to it.

[xul]

Yeah, I like the idea that each individual worker (and not an organized union) is the equivalent of an entire corporation.

I think Wilber would like the idea that each shareholder of those corporations(and not an organized capitalists or business owners union which is usually called the board of directors) is the equivalent of an entire union, LOL, of an individual worker.

[Oleg Bach]

After the way the Tories went after Air Canada, a private firm, with only one day strike, one has to wonder if they are going to make war against the unions in this country. I don't think it would be a good idea for various reasons. The head of the CAW said they were very close when the Tories decided to go back to parliament and get them order back to work. Harper has to remember that people that belong to unions are Tories also and if things get nasty they will get nasty with their vote in the next election. Not all unions are the same, there's bad one and there good ones, just like political parties. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/stephen-harper-prepared-wage-war-canada-unions-210611103.html

The tacit agenda is the absolute privitization as is feasable. Thrity years ago as a younger guy - I made as much money then as kids are making now - actually more. It surprises me that there are young people making 360 dollars a week--- what the hell is that all about...I made twice that when I was 20. The trend globally is to trim down people to the level of bare subsitance. This is supposedly to make us "competative" which is bull shit...why should our labour force compete with a place like India or China - we are NOT in China...but our great finacial advisors assume that unions are a curse and they make to much money.

They want to take away the bass boat and the cottage from unionized people. Only lunitics assume that keeping wages low makes a nation prosper - the only people that benefit are those who are rich and well established - so Harper...is kissing the ass of what he considers the ruling class - so far this ruling class has sold out their own Canadian brothers - just for a little more profit...that they really do not need.

[fellowtraveller]

Many private sector, non union firms offer benefits equal to or better than union shops.

Never.

Often, now.

Syncrude is an example of a major corp that has been operating union free for 30+ years and treats its staff so well that countless union organizing drives have failed miserably.

There are many other examples.

Edited June 30, 2011 by fellowtraveller

[Oleg Bach]

Often, now.

Syncrude is an example of a major corp that has been operating union free for 30+ years and treats its staff so well that countless union organizing drives have failed miserably.

There are many other examples.

Syncrude is in a buisness similar to opiate sales - The addiction to oil is real. Syncrude has money to burn because though the selling of product to addicts there is a never ending supply of money to be tossed around..I am sure that the henchpersons that operate under the Syncrude corporate banner are well taken care of...loyality can be bought you know. An oil company is not a good example of why we don`t need unions - how about a shoe factory...or maybe some other buisness whose profit margin is large as that of an oil company...you won`t find such a thing. By Syncrude standards - paying their workers a living wage with benefits still amounts to minimum wage in the minds of the executives...big deal ...billionares paying a thousand instead of a hundred...it is all relative.