Ontario Teacher Unions Campaign Against Harper

[socialist]

It looks like Ontario's teacher unions are ramping up their campaign to defeat Harper and the CPC. This is a big block of Ontario voters, and now that it looks like peace has been made with Wynne, this could give JT and the NDP the numbers they need to defeat the CPC; or will it do more harm to these parties. I guess we should all be glad union dues are tax deductible.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/ontario-teachers-unions-taking-on-stephen-harper-with-pledges-to-campaign-against-conservatives

Edited August 20, 2015 by socialist

[socialist]

Also, some teachers i Ontario have reached a tentative deal. No strike.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/ontario-secondary-school-teachers-union-province-reach-tentative-deal/article26030209/

[socialist]

I just spoke to a few of my neighbours who were undecided by really don't like Harper. It seems they dislike unions more as they said this news will force them to hold their nose and vote CPC.

[socialist]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/20/ontario-public-high-school-teachers-and-province-reach-deal.html

Here's a link form the Toronto Star with regards to the settlement. I have posted a link to the Right Wing National Post; the Centrist Globe; and the left wing Star. I've read through the comments and I noticed some similarities. Most of the comments are by people who are angry at teachers.

As far as I'm concerned, teacher unions are definitely needed, but they are coming across as bullies. I'm disappointed that I was once a stooge of the teachers' union. And the people running the unions are very well paid. It almost seems that they have to produce anger among teachers to keep the union relevant. Fake anger at that.

Edited August 20, 2015 by socialist

[socialist]

I wonder if the BCTF will campaign in BC against the CPC?

[Boges]

I don't think the left can decide which party they prefer.

[Topaz]

IF unions are out against the Tories, the Tories only have themselves to blame. The have been after the unions to reduce or destroy them since MP Pierre, tried to get financially, for the union to open their books and the item of working in a union but not paying union dues. They were too stupid to know the feds have no place of doing that, its up to the provinces, so they have gone after the fed workers unions. Gee...I wonder who they won't support??

[Big Guy]

Unions don't vote - people (teachers) vote. My perception has been that most teachers spend very little participation in politics - they leave that to the union reps. Comes vote time they make intelligent decisions based on their personal positions.

I have never seen stats on how people vote by profession.

I do know that the commonality among teachers is education and high incomes. The stats that I have seen this group of highly educated and well off group ,is that they tend to vote Liberal or Conservative these parties tend to favour the pocketbooks of that group.

My experience has also been that teachers tend to be more belligerent than other professions and certainly are not easily led or directed.

[poochy]

IF unions are out against the Tories, the Tories only have themselves to blame. The have been after the unions to reduce or destroy them since MP Pierre, tried to get financially, for the union to open their books and the item of working in a union but not paying union dues. They were too stupid to know the feds have no place of doing that, its up to the provinces, so they have gone after the fed workers unions. Gee...I wonder who they won't support??

So the possibility of considering that some unionized workers are a little too spoiled is off the table for you? I like money, and i'm in a union, a very specialized union, i work a lot and make a good living, however, my particular union doesn't have the power of say the postal workers, or the teachers, that said the work i do far out strips the difficulty and ability that is required by the other 2, and I am paid better. However, am I paid an amount that truly represents those relative differences over say, what an average teacher does?

No, it should be more, do the unionized civil servants in Ottawa work as hard as the average teacher? I doubt it, people in unions should not be paid based upon how much inconvenience they can cause to the public if they decide to strike, that's holding us hostage more so than it is being paid what you are worth, and in those cases why should the government support that? Most of the work done by the individual civil servant isn't that special or difficult, but their ability to disrupt government business as a group gives them power, and salary that the work they do, doesn't deserve. It is normal that in private business you will be paid $10-15/hr less than you would in government for doing the same job, with no benefits, and maybe that is too low. On the other hand I am, apparently, so important that im not allowed to strike, which strangely enough means that we are relatively underpaid compared to those people who are less important and are allowed to strike, it's far from a perfect system, so the idea that unions should be untouchable is pretty silly. Im glad to be unionized, it has some benefits, but it doesn't always work to your advantage, nor does it produce fair results.

Edited August 21, 2015 by poochy

[Argus]

IF unions are out against the Tories, the Tories only have themselves to blame. The have been after the unions to reduce or destroy them since MP Pierre, tried to get financially, for the union to open their books and the item of working in a union but not paying union dues.

Ahh, so that's why the unions were against the Tories! Uh, wait, the unions have ALWAYS been against the Tories...

And for the record, I fully support unions being forced to let people know how much money they waste on their own internal game playing, their fully paid days off for a variety of meetings and retreats, the high amount of expense claims for travel and dinnners, and the amount of members dues which goes to a variety of activist causes which their members probably don't even support or care about.

[PIK]

I just spoke to a few of my neighbours who were undecided by really don't like Harper. It seems they dislike unions more as they said this news will force them to hold their nose and vote CPC.

Funny, one of my buddies who is a retired PS, and a huge supporter of the liberal party told me the same. Trudeau has totally pissed him off and will never vote NDP, so he to will hold his nose and vote harper.

[socialist]

Personally, I'm perturbed by the expenses the union reps incur. They travel to all kinds of conferences and then have the nerve to tweet a picture of the lobster they are having courtesy of my dues. I support unions, but not as much as I used to, as they have gotten out of hand, raising rates and feeding from the trough like pigs.