I am concerned that the longer this strike goes on that permanent damage will be done to the labour movement in Canada. CUPE has been on the wrong side of the public relations battle since Day 1 and the City has been controlling the message. The number of complaints against unions and collective bargaining in general seem to be increasing.
Neither the public or for that matter some of those on strike appear to understand the key issues.
I believe the strike was an ill advised strategic move and all of this delay nonsense only serves to create enormous ill will.
I found this on the CUPE 79 website-- it is a bit of a read but you can get an idea of what the issues are.
http://www.cupelocal79.org
CUPE really needs a simplified, direct and consistent message as to why they are on strike. I would immediately advise against further attempts to delay the public from dropping off trash. All thuggery of any type needs to stop-- it is counter productive to your cause.
I would shift the focus from garbage to the myriad of services the City provides--- public health, inspections, animal services. If I was a CUPE member on strike I would be furious at the leadership for how things have been handled to date.
Final thought for today, concessions for a strong union are not necessarily the end of the world. Wages and benefits need to be able to respond to economic conditions.
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