Politics

[StrawBoss]

And a good morning to you—Cowman ! What side of the bed did you get out of this morning?
I wasn’t referring to the little moms working in stores and babysitting forming unions to get a livable wage.
I am talking about essential services like politicians, teachers, nurses, doctors, firemen, police and a few other that are receiving a very good wage, but want more and work less and I don’t care if they call them unions or associations.
I remember when the west coast grain handlers--- floor sweepers were getting $22.00 per hour and wanted more and I was getting $3.00 a bushel for my wheat. That’s the kind of crap I am referring to.

[cakadu]

Cowman, I agree with you that it is shameful that people are earning such low wages - especially in this province. I don't know that having unions for them will get them any better wages in their pockets by the time you take off union dues etc.

Never having been in a union, but knowing lots of people who are, for the most part the unions have outlived their usefulness. When you see union leaders out there telling people to strike, it's not the leaders that will be taking a reduction in their oftentimes 6 figure salaries (think Buzz Hargrove (sp) of the auto workers union or the other powerful union leaders) while the real workers are out on the picket lines.

Sometimes I think it's the unions exploiting the workers in this day and age. Union dues go up and the services and bargaining that the union is supposed to be doing on your behalf isn't getting done.

Sadly, politics raises it's ugly head everywhere.

(As an aside, I've never understood striking solely for more pay - even with an increase you'll never make back the money that was lost while you were out on the picket line.)

[cowman]

The grain workers always seem to get a bad rap from farmers. I think it is frustration because farmers are powerless in the system, mostly due to their own inability to get "mobbed up" or in other words form an effective union. Why maybe if farmers had a real union they could get $100/bu. for their wheat! Of course they would have to control what came into this country and forget all about the export market. So I guess we could turn the prairies back into a buffalo pasture and grow the little bit of grain we need in Ontario. Maybe we could convince the Indians to go back to their traditional way of life hunting buffalo instead of running casinos?
Just about every group that is succesful has a "union" if you will. The power elite that runs this country has a "union". No outsiders allowed! You try to crash the "union" you find out real fast who really runs this country!
I would be more concerned with the billions companies like Bombardier and Power Corp. get from you and me, than if some working Joe got a few extra bucks from the marketplace.