Solidarity Forever?

[Tranplanner]

So Toronto is in the middle of some major labour strife - the outside workers (Garbage Collectors, Parks maintenance, Ferry Operators) are on strike now. The police have rejected their tentative deal, the Firefighters have been without a contract for 4 years and are now on work-to-rule. And the inside workers (Health Inspectors, day-care, building inspectors, and PLANNERS) are set to strike tomorrow (well, Tuesday - it's a long weekend after all).

I'm not looking forward to my forced vacation.

Any other planners out there part of the union brother/sisterhood? Is this a common thing? Any Planners out there ever been on strike?

Job security is the main issue - the existing collective agreement states no layoffs for employees with 10 years of service. The City wants to up, while the union wants to reduce it. While it's kind of amusing to watch the Mayor and the union heads blame each other for this mess, it's definitely not fun to be caught in the middle.

Will I be a "scab" if I keep posting at cyburbia (from home of course)?

[Chet]

Our professional staff are non-union. Our unions have no-strike clauses in the contracts. Good luck.

[NHPlanner]

I'm union, and our contract specifically has a no-strike provision to it. We renegotiate every 3 years, and have never had any issues that I'm aware of.

Growing up in a union family (my Dad is part of the Graphic Communications International Union...been Sec. Treasurer for years) I know what it's like to go through difficult negotiations. Fortunately, I've never had to experience a strike at any time in my family.

Good luck, and I hope that things work out!

And no, you're not a scab for posting here from home! We're not the City of Toronto.

[el Guapo]

I have a spare room if times get tough - I'd even consider letting a Canadian Labor (or is it Labour?) Troublemaker stay there, but you would have to go to the gun range with me once a week and no singing Oh' Canada before the games. OK?

[El Feo]

Tranplanner, I've checked th weather in Toronto, and it seems it's a lovely week for a strike. Never feel too bad about a vacation, forced or not!

As for me, I'm union, but it's mostly just for the dental. No doubt I'll be kicked out someday when they catch me reading Edmund Burke, Milton Friedman and back issues of National Review during my mandated 15 minute afternoon break...

[Tranplanner]

Yeah, at least the weather will be nice. And my fiancee has already drawn up a list of things for me to do. It'd be the perfect vacation if I was getting paid for it!

[PlannerGirl]

Wow none of the gov workers save for cops where i worked in NC were unionized, nor are they here in VA.

Never crossed my mind that planners in the public sector could be in a union.

Plannergirl

[Cardinal]

We seem to be un-unioning around here. Over the last few years, at least a couple of our businesses' employees have disbanded their local, and this year our city clerical staff shed the Teamsters. Not bad from an economic developer's point of view.

[Downtown]

Our town's workforce is subject to I think 7 different unions, but the professional staff (including planners) is not unionized - just under NYS Civil Service. However, both my parents are heavily involved in their unions - they both work in a school district - so you have my sympathies.

It's too bad your strike can't be like the one IPS had on "The King of Queens", where Doug's union went on strike. The strike was basically spending your day with all the other striking employees while BBQ-ing ribs and playing frisbee outside their building with the occasional sign waving.

[Tranplanner]

Well, it's Tuesday and I'm still here (at work). Negotiations are still ongoing...

The City is starting to suffer under the effects of no garbage pick-up and no swimming pools (the last 3-4 days have been 30+ degrees - celsius. that's like 90F).

I've been staring at your avatar Kelly, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything...