The Bar Towel

Bobbyok wrote:

toweringpine wrote: There is no doubt that unions are a mixed blessing. In the recent years they appear to have taken their wages and benefits to levels that appear unreasonable to many of us but you can bet that if they were all gone we'd be working 60 hours weeks for peanuts.

What proportion of the workforce do you think is unionized? Excluding the government, it's less than 20% (around 17 in 2007). Are the other 80% all working 60 hour weeks for peanuts?

If it wasn't for Unions, I doubt I'd have nearly as many benefits as I do, even though I work in a non union job. I don't get quite as many benefits as the Union guys, but I get to keep more of my paycheck, and I get performance based bonuses that union guys don't.

Upshot is, unions are fine for some, I'm happy not working in a union, and IMO all government employees should not be able to strike, binding arbitration should be mandatory after contracts expire and either side is unwilling to negotiate.

June 24, 2009

LCBO REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
WITH ITS UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES

LCBO today announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with its 6,000 unionized employees, averting the possibility of a strike at LCBO stores and warehouses.

Terms of the new collective bargaining agreement were not disclosed pending ratification by members of the Liquor Board Employees Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).

The agreement must also be approved by members of the LCBO Board of Directors and by the Government of Ontario through an Order-in-Council.

icemachine wrote:

Bobbyok wrote:

toweringpine wrote: There is no doubt that unions are a mixed blessing. In the recent years they appear to have taken their wages and benefits to levels that appear unreasonable to many of us but you can bet that if they were all gone we'd be working 60 hours weeks for peanuts.

What proportion of the workforce do you think is unionized? Excluding the government, it's less than 20% (around 17 in 2007). Are the other 80% all working 60 hour weeks for peanuts?

If it wasn't for Unions, I doubt I'd have nearly as many benefits as I do, even though I work in a non union job. I don't get quite as many benefits as the Union guys, but I get to keep more of my paycheck, and I get performance based bonuses that union guys don't.

Upshot is, unions are fine for some, I'm happy not working in a union, and IMO all government employees should not be able to strike, binding arbitration should be mandatory after contracts expire and either side is unwilling to negotiate.

I'm happy to be in a non union shop but I am glad we've got the right to join together if we feel it is necessary.

Ever wonder if LCBO management chooses to prolong negotiations until there is a threat of strike just to clear old stock off the shelves?

inertiaboy wrote:Ever wonder if LCBO management chooses to prolong negotiations until there is a threat of strike just to clear old stock off the shelves?

You might be on to something there...:
http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2009/06 ... uor_store/

http://www.opseu.org/lbed/collective.htm

Wow, the LCBO pretty much bent over, bit the pillow and asked for more.

I would say this is in many ways a win-win. The employees get a little more job security and benefits, and a pay raise for the casuals. But I wouldn't call 100 jobs over four years a big win for the union. I can well imagine 25 jobs a year is token gesture by the LCBO towards the union. But....what do I know?!

Well congrats to the staff that deserve it!

dutchcanuck wrote:I would say this is in many ways a win-win.!

Actually it's win-win-lose.

Win for the spoiled brats that comprise the LCBO workforce, win for the LCBO because they avoid a strike and notched a 60 million dollar single retail day, and lose for the consumer because the LCBO still exists, with an even more insulated staff.

....sooooo where does this leave our Garrison Order Cass? Any undue delay?

Belgian wrote:Well congrats to the staff that deserve it!

Thank you!

I will continue to work hard and try to earn every dollar I make through excelling in every way possible. This is the attitude I bring to work each and every day.

And to all you folks who work in the media, be it radio, newsprint, or television, I want to thank you for striking the fear of god into the public without all the facts! You've made my employer even richer with your irresponsible journalism! Can't say I'm surprised given the types they hire in these industries, but thankfully the employer has at least agreed to share some of their wealth this time around.

SteelbackGuy wrote: I want to thank you for striking the fear of god into the public without all the facts! Can't say I'm surprised given the types they hire in these industries,

If the sheeple weren't such mindless automatons they wouldn't be so easy to manipulate.

"These days, more and more people are realizing that an economic system where business does well but working people don’t is a system that doesn’t work."

What planet are the unions on again?
As though "business" is some machine with no working people involved.



The new pay grid for casuals

$13.84 an hour

$15.22

$16.62

$17.62

$18.77


better off as a garbage collector I think...

$ wrote:"These days, more and more people are realizing that an economic system where business does well but working people don’t is a system that doesn’t work."

What planet are the unions on again?
As though "business" is some machine with no working people involved.



The new pay grid for casuals

$13.84 an hour

$15.22

$16.62

$17.62

$18.77


better off as a garbage collector I think...

It is hardly a new pay grid.

The only thing new is the top scale, which casuals prior to 2002, were not getting. But that has now changed with the new agreement. Now all casuals are able to obtain the top rate, based on satisfactory performance appraisals, over a 4-5 year period.

SteelbackGuy wrote: It is hardly a new pay grid.

The only thing new is the top scale, which casuals prior to 2002, were not getting. But that has now changed with the new agreement. Now all casuals are able to obtain the top rate, based on satisfactory performance appraisals, over a 4-5 year period.

hmmm, just quoting what the union has posted...


I'm curious, how much are union fees? Or do casual's not pay that?