Well, that’s very much an option. When the Educational Assistants went on strike in Ontario, there was legislation to have them end the strike. The law allowed the government to fine each worker $4,000 for each day they continued to strike. The EAs shot back with: we don’t have any money, which is why we’re looking for double digit increases, so we’re going to continue to stike anyways.
Long story short: it was highly effective.
There’s some lessons learned here and the biggest take-away is that if the law is going to hang out a union if they stop picketing while considering a deal, then resumption of any type of work until a ratified CA is off the table forevermore.
if the law is going to hang out a union if they stop picketing while considering a deal, then resumption of any type of work until a ratified CA is off the table forevermore.
This 100%.
When the deal’s done, we should be walking off the site, 100% tools-down, pending a new agreement. No deal, no work. But no one wants to disrupt things, even if this really means no one got off their ass and got a new deal in place in time so it’s totally not our fault.
So we stay on-board as a good-faith, and it takes a YEAR to get a new deal.
We need terms. If I need to pay a late fee on my hosting bill if I miss a payment, we need a ‘slow git’ tax for working after the contract ends pending a new one, now the good-faith is gone.
What really forced Ford to back off was the solidarity almost every single union in the province showed when that legislation was passed. Strike votes across unions where being held (even with unions that endorsed him) and if he stuck his guns the whole province would of shut down with a general strike.
I think the bigger take here is that we need all unions standing up for each other, and be willing to show solidarity where it matters most
Well, that’s very much an option. When the Educational Assistants went on strike in Ontario, there was legislation to have them end the strike. The law allowed the government to fine each worker $4,000 for each day they continued to strike. The EAs shot back with: we don’t have any money, which is why we’re looking for double digit increases, so we’re going to continue to stike anyways.
Long story short: it was highly effective.
There’s some lessons learned here and the biggest take-away is that if the law is going to hang out a union if they stop picketing while considering a deal, then resumption of any type of work until a ratified CA is off the table forevermore.
This 100%.
When the deal’s done, we should be walking off the site, 100% tools-down, pending a new agreement. No deal, no work. But no one wants to disrupt things, even if this really means no one got off their ass and got a new deal in place in time so it’s totally not our fault.
So we stay on-board as a good-faith, and it takes a YEAR to get a new deal.
We need terms. If I need to pay a late fee on my hosting bill if I miss a payment, we need a ‘slow git’ tax for working after the contract ends pending a new one, now the good-faith is gone.
What really forced Ford to back off was the solidarity almost every single union in the province showed when that legislation was passed. Strike votes across unions where being held (even with unions that endorsed him) and if he stuck his guns the whole province would of shut down with a general strike.
I think the bigger take here is that we need all unions standing up for each other, and be willing to show solidarity where it matters most