Rob Ford's Toronto

[freshcutgrass]

As I will be working in the private sector, I don't think I'll ever encounter those benefits, and that job security for a very large number of years. In fact, I'll never encounter that kind of job security. So if my position is outsourced to India, I get another job in the company? Ya, I wish.

Am I the only one noticing the pattern here?

public opinion will overwhelmingly support Ford

Now if you want to get into a discussion of who really doesn't deserve their job.....

 

[DanTheMan]

That's just it. So many people spend more energy complaining others make more than them. Why not try to reach their level? It's pathetic. I find people with degree(Yes, I have one) tend to have to worst sense of self-entitlement. Sorry, nut having a degree does equal a great job right away. Work for it, like union members have.

Unfortunately university has become the new high school, it is next to impossible to find a career with just a degree.

 

[W. K. Lis]

As I will be working in the private sector, I don't think I'll ever encounter those benefits, and that job security for a very large number of years. In fact, I'll never encounter that kind of job security. So if my position is outsourced to India, I get another job in the company? Ya, I wish. That's not how the real world works and I hope CUPE members understand this. If they want a war with Ford, they'll get it, and guess what, public opinion will overwhelmingly support Ford; especially after that stunt they pulled in 2009.

Just as long as Ford does not outsource city jobs to India or China, I'm fine. Keep the jobs in the city, preferably not in the 905.

 

[Justin10000]

Deleted

 

[greenleaf]

As I will be working in the private sector, I don't think I'll ever encounter those benefits, and that job security for a very large number of years. In fact, I'll never encounter that kind of job security. So if my position is outsourced to India, I get another job in the company? Ya, I wish. That's not how the real world works and I hope CUPE members understand this. If they want a war with Ford, they'll get it, and guess what, public opinion will overwhelmingly support Ford; especially after that stunt they pulled in 2009.

You are making a choice to work in the private sector. And the public sector is the "real world" too.

 

[jn_12]

Filip: Perhaps rather than attacking the public sector, as an employee you should be demanding better from your private sector employer. You're complaining about a sense of entitlement, when you're coming across as though everyone should only be entitled to what you have. How about we raise the bar, rather than sink all the ships?

And the fact is, in the public sector you will find many people who are strongly educated, with backgrounds, skills and specializations that are exceptional. If you want to lump every "public sector" employee together, then we might as well suggest that your experience and skills are no better than the high schooler working at Wendy's. It's only fair.

 

[Justin10000]

Unfortunately university has become the new high school, it is next to impossible to find a career with just a degree.

Students did not come of high school with crippling debt.

 

[jje1000]

How about we raise the bar, rather than sink all the ships?

The current outlook is a race to a bottom.

First private sector benefits get stripped away, then those left in the cold look angrily at the public sector and demand harsh punishment towards the 'free-loaders'.

 

[DanTheMan]

Students did not come of high school with crippling debt.

It's kinda a catch-22. Higher high school graduation rates and more people going to university is great, but it also floods the job market with thousands of new grads each year. The value of a degree has been severely erroded, and most fresh university grads don't understand that.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Students did not come of high school with crippling debt.

No...but tattoos and a bad taste in music is possibly worse.

 

[FinchConnection]

It's kinda a catch-22. Higher high school graduation rates and more people going to university is great, but it also floods the job market with thousands of new grads each year. The value of a degree has been severely erroded, and most fresh university grads don't understand that.

Believe me we do. More than everyone either expects or understands.

I can't even begin to describe how difficult its been for most of us.

 

[toraerach]

I'm surprised news of a possible CUPE strike to protest the removal of the 'jobs for life' clause isn't getting any scrutiny here.

I think at this point a lock-out is much more possible than a strike. CUPE knows they won't win in the court of public opinion if a labour disruption starts on their side. As with the postal lock-out, the media will probably play it up as a strike anyways so Ford could, potentially, actually do well on this front.

The other thing in Ford's favour is how he handles the Occupy protesters. Recently one of them overdosed in the park and emergency workers had to come in. Occupy Toronto protesters are not quite as irritating as Occupy Vancouver protesters - where someone has already died from a drug overdose, and where firefighters who tried to extinguish a trash can fire (which protesters defended as an "aboriginal spiritual fire") were bitten by protesters - but they are pushing the boundaries of what most moderate people will tolerate. I mean, I consider myself to be left of centre, and even I think that they should, in Ford's words, "move on".

Occupy Toronto shouldn't have occupied St. James Park. Aside from the fact that it's relatively out of the way relative to centres of commerce and government, the park is already home to some people, and as I understand it, they've been the ones responsible for the drug use and alleged assaults (not that I want to scapegoat the homeless here, which is something the Occupy folks have been trying hard not to do). Occupy Toronto is probably one of the best organized camps in North America right now, and I'm fairly certain they've had a back-up plan in the works since the beginning for their eventual eviction from St. James.

 

[Palma]

The current outlook is a race to a bottom.

First private sector benefits get stripped away, then those left in the cold look angrily at the public sector and demand harsh punishment towards the 'free-loaders'.

Could not have said it better.

 

[Filip]

The current outlook is a race to a bottom.

First private sector benefits get stripped away, then those left in the cold look angrily at the public sector and demand harsh punishment towards the 'free-loaders'.

Hey, I agree with most of what has been said, but sometimes the benefits I refer to in the public sector unions are just above and beyond what is found anywhere else. Public servants both federally and provincially don't have these kinds of perks. Recently a friend of mine linked me to an article about BC teachers demanding added clauses to their contracts. The kicker was a demand for 5 paid days of absence when a FRIEND dies. That's just getting ridiculous.

Those in public sector unions have this sense of entitlement because they believe the public sector is a bottomless pit of funds. It 'can't' go bankrupt if they demand too much. Then again, we only have to look at Southern Europe to see what a bloated public sector with enviable benefits achieves. Enough is enough, if they want equality then by all means pay and give what the market will bear.

 

[DanTheMan]

I think at this point a lock-out is much more possible than a strike. CUPE knows they won't win in the court of public opinion if a labour disruption starts on their side. As with the postal lock-out, the media will probably play it up as a strike anyways so Ford could, potentially, actually do well on this front.

I think all signs point to a lock-out as well, most of the general public don't seem to know the difference. One of the only thing blocking the city at this point is the lack of paramedic essential service. Locking-out paramedics probably wouldn't be the best PR for Ford and Co, but I honestly wouldn't put it past him.

Thompson and Luby tried to pass a motion at council last month to get the province to make us essential, but it failed and will now go to the executive at the end of the month.