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-- Why we should vote for Jane Pitfield for mayor... Re: TTC unions


Posted by Jayx1 on Jun-14-2006 15:45:

Why we should vote for Jane Pitfield for mayor... Re: TTC unions

there are many reasons why she would make a great mayor as opposed to the dumbass we have now. This is just the latest...

Time to dismantle the unions that are doing nothing but driving up costs and promoting bad service. Finally a politician that isnt afraid to go against the status quo.

quote:
Mayoral Candidate Wants To Lessen Unions' Power
Monday June 12, 2006
It was supposed to be a meeting of politicians at City Hall to look into how to handle the T.T.C. now that its general manager is gone.
Rick Ducharme resigned last week alleging political interference drove him from office. It came following a wildcat strike two weeks ago that shut down the system for a full day.

Now Councillor Jane Pitfield, a candidate for Mayor, has stunned some of her colleagues by suggesting it's the T.T.C. union that's causing the problem - and it's just one of the many bargaining collectives Toronto deals with that should have their power plug pulled.

"Perhaps it's time to start phasing out some of our unions," she opines. "Make them less strong, have less political interference with them . It's politically charged, and unfortunately with David Miller, it's a carte blanche. Whatever they ask for, they're receiving."

Miller was away Monday, but his staff was caught off guard by the sudden policy suggestion. And they were quick to remind the unions not everyone in the halls of power shares that view.

"Certainly that is nothing that we talked about," avers Councillor Karen Stintz. "That is not the issue. The unions are not the issue."

Councillor Howard Moscoe, who took the brunt of the criticism from Ducharme, believes his foe has just dug her own political grave. "I think Councillor Pitfield just self-destructed her campaign."

But Pitfield is undeterred. "I don't know how to do it," she explains. "I'm saying that perhaps the time has come to look at that."

How do voters feel about her shocking statements? If they're union members, the answers are obvious.

"Why would I, as a person living in Toronto, vote for someone who not only says something that doesn't make any sense, but doesn't have an answer for it?," asks Pauline Niles of C.U.P.E. Local 1.

And even if Pitfield gets her way, it won't be easy - the city has about 55,000 unionized employees and weakening their bargaining power is a task that may be beyond her ability to arrange.

And that's only If voters agree with her stance.

The answer will come this November, when the municipal election takes place. So far Pitfield and Miller are the only real frontrunners.


Posted by TO guy on Jun-14-2006 15:48:

I'm really surprised to see that you are anti-union.


Posted by Jayx1 on Jun-14-2006 15:52:

quote:
Originally posted by TO guy
I'm really surprised to see that you are anti-union.


unions have served their purpose. They are now nothing more than a bloated bureaucracy with its own political baggage. And when a union monopolizes employees on what is already a monopoly (government services) its an even more compounded problem.

Bus drivers striking when they make $24-30 an hour plus benefits for what is considered unskilled labour is just one example of how unions cost taxpayers a lot of money. Also, the service on the TTC isnt exactly the best either. All those employees are pratically there for life whether they suck or not.


Posted by zokissima on Jun-14-2006 18:04:

quote:
Originally posted by Jayx1
unions have served their purpose. They are now nothing more than a bloated bureaucracy with its own political baggage. And when a union monopolizes employees on what is already a monopoly (government services) its an even more compounded problem.

Bus drivers striking when they make $24-30 an hour plus benefits for what is considered unskilled labour is just one example of how unions cost taxpayers a lot of money. Also, the service on the TTC isnt exactly the best either. All those employees are pratically there for life whether they suck or not.

While in princple I agree with you, these unions are fairly useless and do nothing for the benefit of the populace, save for those within the union, I don't know how comfortable I feel about a candidate that can so directly attack an institution set up to protect the working class.
But then again, I work my ass off, and my job will for sure never be unionized, so I guess there goes my point...


Posted by Jayx1 on Jun-14-2006 19:06:

quote:
Originally posted by zokissima
While in princple I agree with you, these unions are fairly useless and do nothing for the benefit of the populace, save for those within the union, I don't know how comfortable I feel about a candidate that can so directly attack an institution set up to protect the working class.
But then again, I work my ass off, and my job will for sure never be unionized, so I guess there goes my point...


Well she feels the same way you do
quote:
While in princple I agree with you, these unions are fairly useless and do nothing for the benefit of the populace, save for those within the union,


and thats why she wants to abolish it. It serves no one anymore so why have it?


Posted by daves on Jun-14-2006 19:15:

how much do you get paid for these political service announcements jayx1?


Posted by fairy godfather on Jun-14-2006 20:12:

I wish we had a stronger candidate to take on Mayor Miller. I don't think Pitfield has the name recognition to pull this off.

Even though I am a Tory...I would get behind a bid by Liberal Dennis Mills.

He was an amazing MP of the people, has a great business background (family business is "Chairman Mills" - party rentals) and has strong name recognition in TO.

If you read this thread Mr. Mills...I will buy you a hat to throw into the ring!


Posted by petro on Jun-14-2006 20:16:

Eff Pitfield. She ruined Thorncliffe.


Posted by MarkT on Jun-14-2006 20:21:

Who cares about the union...

Designate the TTC an "essential service" (because it is!) and thus bar them from being able to strike.


Posted by Time2Burn on Jun-14-2006 20:38:

The Amalgamated Trasit Union is one of the largest (if not the largest)union in North America. Without passing judgement on whether or not the TTC's union is a hinderance to quality cost effective service she should look for more creative ways to improve our TTC. Such as yes, private funding.

The union will never go down without a huge fight. And in the end its the people of this city that would suffer. I don't want a mayor who looks at situations like this so unpractically (as right ideologically as she may be).


Posted by Spam on Jun-14-2006 21:00:

Unions have become too big, too corrupt, and employees don't even have the option to work for a Unionized company and opt out of the actual Union.

My mom's in a Union, she's often frustrated by the fact that she isn't allowed to do more work when she's done the piddly ammount of work they DO give her (Hydro One BTW). From my discussions with other Union workers, my mom's not alone in her feelings.

What all this tells me is that Unions result in higher costs and lower productivity for a company. In the case of Government-funded, Unionized work-places, this means that our tax-dollars are being wasted. How can we expect a cash-bonus for the TTC to do anything when the Union pushes for a raise instead of putting the money where it's needed?


Posted by Jayx1 on Jun-15-2006 17:34:

quote:
Originally posted by fairy godfather
I wish we had a stronger candidate to take on Mayor Miller. I don't think Pitfield has the name recognition to pull this off.

Even though I am a Tory...I would get behind a bid by Liberal Dennis Mills.

He was an amazing MP of the people, has a great business background (family business is "Chairman Mills" - party rentals) and has strong name recognition in TO.

If you read this thread Mr. Mills...I will buy you a hat to throw into the ring!


so just because he has name recognition thats the reason to vote for him?

Thats a pretty bad reason!

Vote for substance, not fame.

BTW miller associates himself as an NDPer not a Liberal.

Revisit some of the bonehead moves that miller has made and then tell me why hes fit to be re-elected.


Posted by fairy godfather on Jun-15-2006 19:08:

quote:
Originally posted by Jayx1
so just because he has name recognition thats the reason to vote for him?

Thats a pretty bad reason!

Vote for substance, not fame.

BTW miller associates himself as an NDPer not a Liberal.

Revisit some of the bonehead moves that miller has made and then tell me why hes fit to be re-elected.



Your response to me would indicate that you did not read my post very well.

1. I listed Dennis Mills' record as an MP and his business experience before I mentioned name recognition. Like it or not, it is an important factor...the average voter does not take the time to do research on candidates. I think Mills' track record is much stronger than Jane Pitfields' is. Most people in the city have probably never heard of her!

2. I never said that David Miller was a liberal. I am one of the "informed" and "politically aware" voters in the city. I know his affiliation.

The reality is that it will take someone with a high profile in the city, and substance to beat Miller in November. I think Dennis Mills is the guy who could pull it off!


Posted by Jayx1 on Jun-16-2006 01:34:

aaah sorry i misread mills for miller...

mills would make a good candidate but i still support pitfield at this point. Lets see what happens and who joins the race. I still havnt made my final decision.


Posted by fairy godfather on Jun-16-2006 03:07:

Hey Jay,

Yes, let's see what the final list looks like...having said that, I would be inclined to vote for anyone who can beat Miller. He has done NOTHING in the last three years!



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