BC Ferries is cutting service on routes

P.C. · Oct 02 08 09:16

I can't claim to have the depth of understanding that you do on the subject. I'm looking at it from a more simplistic view, I know. But the fact remains, that to pay those 'unbalanced' wages has to trickle down somewhere....and I'm thinking, it's trickling down to my wallet.

And I still maintain, that a cashier on BC ferries is no more valuable than a cashier at MacDonalds....nor is a cashier that has a degree any more valuable than a cashier who is grade 10 dropout. The job is the job....it's the same for all those who hold the position. In the unions efforts to 'defend rights', they've overlooked the simple fact, that it isn't anybody's 'right' to be paid inflated wages for a job requiring minimal skills. Some answers are found in simplicity.

"Well you're not that young........"

I could hardly hear anything after that.

Van · Oct 02 08 10:05

Michel wrote:
Van wrote:
[DIV style="FONT-STYLE: italic"]lol PC. I have a cousin in a sawmill that make almost $30.00 for sweeping the floors. Strong union. Too bad the mill has about 2 months left to go if they are lucky.

[DIV style="FONT-STYLE: italic"]

[DIV style="FONT-STYLE: italic"]I worked union once, I will NEVER again!

Why never ? Jealous ? What's your problem with people fighting for their rights ? Maybe you should become a Stalinist or invest in China, this would be your perfect society, no ? Open a McDonald or a WalMart ?

Jealous of a union? LOL! That is too funny! I am sure unions had their time and place. Where I worked, we could not get rid of the shi*ty workers to save the decent workers positions. So many whiners worrying and always expecting "what is coming to them", rather than the doughheads just doing their job!."the Company OWES me something" mentality got old fast. Nobody OWES you a bloody thing! Go pick the apples yourself instead of sitting back and waiting for the apple cart to fall into your lap!

Also, there is no accountability with unions. Everywhere i have been where unions were involved they did less work with more attitude.

You can chant all the pro-union propaganda you want, I will never change my mind about it. I was glad to work in a place where if a worker was a slacker, he got his ass booted out the door. To be honest, the benefits and pay scale were pretty much the same too for the qualified positions.

I am sure unions were necessary many years ago, nowadays, unions are great, at scaring away investment and common sense. BC in the 90s, the unions sucked the life out of this province.

anyways, my thoughts.

stretchedout · Oct 02 08 10:09

How about Jimmy Pattison replacing Save-On Foods stores with Price Smart stores! What do you think that is all about? Hint - compare wages at the two stores.

Sportsdude · Oct 02 08 10:17

lol classic anti-union spew post 1980 Reaganism economics where he complained poor people on welfare were living it up, viciously attack the poor and weak, the modern conservative way. total bs. So said that a political ideology has spewed into just hate. When we think of conservatism now its Rush Limbaugh. lol

Company profits go down, blame the worker of course, not the over paid management who made the bad decisions. It's always the workers fault because you know they make all the decisions of course.

BC Ferries is in trouble because of the decision to build the stupid ships in Germany. BC Ferries could have built the ships in Victoria for much cheaper and would have helped BC shipbuilding industry. But Campbell rather help out his buddies in Germany than the citizens of British Columbia. So, of course Campbell was hopping mad when Harper said BC had to pay the huge import tax and refused to waive it. So the tax payers of BC now had to pay the bills on the giant cruise ships.

The giant import tax+ building the ships in Germany+ high cost of fuel = current BC Ferries problems.
All of those decisions aren't the workers problems, but the failure of management. So instead of only having to deal with high fuel costs, the government due to sloppy inept managing has a 4 headed monster. Then add on top of that Gordon gave himself a raise. And you've got problems, my friends.

P.C. · Oct 02 08 10:20

lol classic pro-union spew

Sportsdude · Oct 02 08 10:21

Van wrote:
Michel wrote:
Van wrote:
[div style="font-style: italic;"]lol PC. I have a cousin in a sawmill that make almost $30.00 for sweeping the floors. Strong union. Too bad the mill has about 2 months left to go if they are lucky.[/div] [div style="font-style: italic;"] [/div] [div style="font-style: italic;"]I worked union once, I will NEVER again![/div]
[em]Why never ? Jealous ? What's your problem with people fighting for their rights ? Maybe you should become a Stalinist or invest in China, this would be your perfect society, no ? Open a McDonald or a WalMart ?[/em][/p] Jealous of a union? LOL! That is too funny! I am sure unions had their time and place. Where I worked, we could not get rid of the shi*ty workers to save the decent workers positions. So many whiners worrying and always expecting "what is coming to them", rather than the doughheads just doing their job!."the Company OWES me something" mentality got old fast. Nobody OWES you a bloody thing! Go pick the apples yourself instead of sitting back and waiting for the apple cart to fall into your lap![/p] Also, there is no accountability with unions. Everywhere i have been where unions were involved they did less work with more attitude.[/p] You can chant all the pro-union propaganda you want, I will never change my mind about it. I was glad to work in a place where if a worker was a slacker, he got his ass booted out the door. To be honest, the benefits and pay scale were pretty much the same too for the qualified positions.[/p] I am sure unions were necessary many years ago, nowadays, unions are great, at scaring away investment and common sense. BC in the 90s, the unions sucked the life out of this province.[/p] anyways, my thoughts.
[/p]
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funny, most union workers vote conservative. The ones that I ran into on my time on the Island were in fact conservative voters, the complainers as you say. The proud union workers I know back in the states are Republicans.

Sportsdude · Oct 02 08 10:28

P.C. wrote:
lol classic pro-union spew

I don't want to live in the 1800's Industrial Age.
When you come out against a union on the basis of its exisitance saying "we don't need it anymore" you are cutting the safety net that you have as a non union worker. You can say 'well we have labour laws', labour laws can be wiped away in a minute with a pen. We have 'working standards' again, it can be wiped away with a few sentences on a piece of paper.

bust up the unions, go ahead. Then don't complain about working standards, women can be harrassed in the work place, who are they going to complain to, to seek justice? "Oh I'm sorry, we abolished those discrimination laws because the people believed we didn't need those laws anymore."

slippery slope

stretchedout · Oct 02 08 10:34

It is only 30km across - let's build a tunnel. English channel tunnel is 50km.

Van · Oct 02 08 10:34

Sportsdude wrote:

funny, most union workers vote conservative. The ones that I ran into on my time on the Island were in fact conservative voters, the complainers as you say. The proud union workers I know back in the states are Republicans.

Funny is right...or weird? that is just weird....

Either way, I work for myself now and proudly will never work for a union again!

P.C. · Oct 02 08 10:46

bust up the unions, go ahead. Then don't complain about working standards, women can be harrassed in the work place, who are they going to complain to, to seek justice? "Oh I'm sorry, we abolished those discrimination laws because the people believed we didn't need those laws anymore."

Unions don't make the laws. The unions could abolish their descrimination laws in a heartbeat. Labour Relations is there to do what is required. I don't need to pay a union to do something that someone else is already doing for nothing.

Sportsdude · Oct 02 08 11:08

Labour Relations Board will disappear just as quickly. Then where will you go, the Human Rights Commission? The party in power can get rid of that too. You will have nothing, no voice to back you up and you'll get squashed by whomever you're going up against. Everyone has become complacent if they believe that those boards will always be there and at the same time believe those boards just were created on their own. How did those boards and commissions get created in the first place? I wonder who pushed for them... hmmm

Michel · Oct 02 08 11:12

P.C. · Oct 02 08 11:13

Labour Relations Board will disappear just as quickly.

Why would it be inevitable that one follow the other ?

Lil Me · Oct 02 08 11:28

Sportsdude wrote:
funny, most union workers vote conservative. The ones that I ran into on my time on the Island were in fact conservative voters, the complainers as you say. The proud union workers I know back in the states are Republicans.
--
Federally, you are correct.
In provincial politics, the unions and trades usually vote NDP- suburbs (Burnaby, PoCo, New West, Surrey) and East Van have elected NDP MLAs.
My neighbours, for example, are a lot of union tradespeople, cops, fire fighters, hospital employees, prison guards, municipal workers...your typical bluecollar suburb...and we're elected the same NDP guy for years.

Van · Oct 02 08 12:27

Michel wrote:
Van wrote:
To be honest, the benefits and pay scale were pretty much the same too for the qualified positions.

Only because your boss was scared that a union entered into the place. Typical corporatist tactict and naive people fell for it.

Oh yes that must have been it??

OR, the fact we needed qualified employees and had a hard time finding people with the right experience. Some companies are actually willing to pay whatever is necessary for skilled workers to join.

The beauty was, if you suck at your job, you can expect a permanent unpaid holiday.