Editor's note: Mr. Rennick refers to the BayToday story Large labour voices cry out at protest outside Leader's debate
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Labour unions, in general, have long outlived their usefulness and their continued campaigns are ruining the country.
The workers employed in the sweat shops of the nineteenth century working six-day-12-hour work weeks are without a doubt spinning in their graves seeing present-day union bosses co-opting their struggles in order to support present-day requests for higher wages and more benefits.
Based on the level of public sector wages, this manufactured outrage at the leaders’ debate is simply an embarrassing attempt by union leaders to justify the millions of dollars they are taking from workers in union dues
The attitude being fostered by unions that pit workers against employers is a ploy that personalizes the issues and allows the promotion of hatred bordering on religious fervour among supporters.
The multi-million-dollar pre-election ads by the Ontario high school teachers’ union attacking Doug Ford for “short-changing” education funding coupled with comments from union leaders using words like “dithering” and “draconian” is simply a thinly disguised push for still higher wages masquerading as a plea for the pandemic threat to students and staff.
In the meantime, compensation levels based on job clearing rates and the value of the work being done have long been replaced by “another year has gone by”, “things cost more” and “we’re holding their breath and stamping our feet until our demands are met” tactics in use today by unions.
The irony of this process is that higher wages are the major cause of higher prices and those who are not employed by CUPE and other lobby groups are suffering as a result.
Between union leaders whining for evermore obscene civil servant wages and the various governments acquiescing to their demands, taxpayers are helpless while these two gangs, both of whom ultimately look after their own interests, continue to bleed them dry.
Taxpayers need a voice that has the backbone and the ability to legislate a vast reduction in the insatiable greed of union leaders and their supporters.
D. D. Rennick
North Bay
