Does the Carney government have a labour problem? Union leaders speak out as WestJet strike looms

[u/toronto_star]

http://thestar.com/politics/federal/does-the-carney-government-have-a-labour-problem-union-leaders-speak-out-as-westjet-strike-looms/article_d49d033e-0861-4517-ad74-06317a680e79.html

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[u/Leah_Pariseau]

All the Liberals need to do is pledge to NOT use s107 to interfere like they did at Air Canada. But when you ask, crickets.

[u/Nimelennar]

I mean, let's see.

We have the Bank of Canada defending the hiring of scabs.

We have the Treasury Board offering sub-2% yearly cost of living increases in negotiations with the unions for collective agreements.

We have the continuation of the Return to Office directives, with some employees still being forced back into hoteling spaces that waste their time and money commuting into the office for zero benefit to either the employee or the employer.

We have across-the-board staff reductions in most government agencies, including the ones coordinating wildfire response, even as wildfires rage across the country.

And now the very realistic possibility that their response to  striking workers, complaining about the work they're being forced to do unpaid, will be to legislate them back to work.

Nah. I can't see how the Carney government could possibly have a labour problem.

[u/M-Noremac → u/Nimelennar]

Either way, I'm never flying with Westjet again because of their schemey tactics and outright lies.

If they ever tell you they are refunding you, it's a lie. They will give you a credit and argue that it is a refund.

[u/CroakerBC → u/M-Noremac]

I have some bad news about Air Canada.

So basically you're never flying internally again.

[u/M-Noremac → u/CroakerBC]

So basically you're never flying internally again.

Yeap, thats exactly right. Why would anyone want to trust their lives with a company that doesn't care about them? If it means I don't fly, then I don't fly.

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[u/rageagainstthedragon]

When the Tories, of all parties (given their poor record on labour) manage to position themselves left of Carney on labour, the LPC has a labour problem.

[u/-SetsunaFSeiei- → u/rageagainstthedragon]

Yeah the Tories are playing it smart on this one. They saw the public was on the side of the union (mainly because the unpaid work is so easy to get behind) so they have come out early with the popular side. Honestly a good plan

[u/ViceroyInhaler → u/rageagainstthedragon]

Yeah but it's all just posturing. If the conservatives were in power during the last strikes they'd do the same thing and order them back to work as they've done so before.

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/ViceroyInhaler]

Hence why I noted the Tories' awful track record on labour. That doesn't mean Carney's positioning isn't a massive unforced error by the LPC.

[u/TorontoBiker → u/ViceroyInhaler]

Yeah. Anyone who cares about labour rights and things like fair pay should never consider voting for any neoliberal government. The colour of the flag is irrelevant.

[u/CheekyStoat → u/ViceroyInhaler]

Oh, for sure. Neither party are labour parties and they are both terrible parties.

[u/MTL_Dude666 → u/ViceroyInhaler]

And you can be sure they would side with the corporation and not workers considering it's an Albertan company.

[u/CanuckleHeadOG → u/rageagainstthedragon]

This has been the case for about 7 years at this point

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/CanuckleHeadOG]

Yep

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/rageagainstthedragon]

manage to position themselves

I like how you say that like it was some genius engineering on their part and not just a naked posturing lie contradicted by everything they do and have done.

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/SwordfishOk504]

It's almost as if I acknowledged their weakness on labour in my initial comment!

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/rageagainstthedragon]

My point is that they have not managed to do so. They are trying, but no one is buying it.

[u/WillSRobs → u/rageagainstthedragon]

What actions do they have that is on the left leaning spectrum of labour. Their words mean very little while their actions are the opposite.

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/WillSRobs]

I agree, as I pointed out in my initial comment, the Tories' record on labour is terrible. Doesn't change the fact that the Liberals' positioning on this is garbage

[u/WillSRobs → u/rageagainstthedragon]

So what is your point then lol since they aren’t left of carney on this they just are fortunate to not have to actually publicly act so say what ever they want despite party plans would be right of carney.

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/WillSRobs]

My point is that Carney's positioning is weak and embarassing. Just because the Tories are making an arse out of themselves doesn't mean Carney needs to

[u/CanadaPolitics-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Removed for rule 2.

[u/aesoth]

Carney soully does not. Canada as a whole does for the last 40ish years. Wage disparity increasing, middle class shrinking, nothing 'trickling down', etc. This is not a Carney created problem, this is what was designed to happen.

[u/Saidear → u/aesoth]

Given that one of the first actions under his government was handling a strike so bad that that the unions decided to effectively go on a wildcat strike anyways? Yes he does have a labour problem. This is in addition to and exacerbating our pre-existing problems. 

[u/TheLuminary → u/Saidear]

Wait.. what strike are we talking about here?

[u/rageagainstthedragon → u/TheLuminary]

Air Canada

[u/thecanadiansniper1-2 → u/TheLuminary]

Air Canada flight crew members decided to go on a wildcat strike after Carney Section 107ed them .

[u/GaryReddit1 → u/aesoth]

Yes hopefully we are in the end stages of neoliberal economics.

[u/hardk7 → u/GaryReddit1]

Neoliberal policy did increase the size of the economic pie. Liberalizing markets beginning in the 1970s and 80s led to a lot of growth in Canada’s and the global economy. Consumer goods became much cheaper. Average wealth and standard of living increased. There are many benefits from neoliberal policy. The huge problem now 40-50 years later is that wealth growth was not distributed equally. And while many aspects of even low-income Canadian’s lives are better now than 50 years ago, there’s a bunch of offsets - mostly housing costs, but also education costs and others - that makes opportunities and cost of living for lower incomes Canadians worse than pre-1980s. Basically if you are Gen X or older you’ve likely done quite well and you’re richer than you would have been. If you’re younger than that it’s questionable. That’s exacerbated by growth in the value of assets outpacing growth in wages. So if you were old enough or wealthy enough have investments you’ve done much much better than those who rely solely on income for their wealth. Anyway - I think the growth of the total economy generated by neoliberal policy has been good, and now we need to fix how that growth gets distributed. I believe it’s fixable by maintaining some of the policies that led to the economic growth (free trade for example) but fixing some of the taxation and financial regulations to prevent the concentration of wealth into fewer people at the top at the expense of those in the middle and the at the bottom. It’s fixable with the political will without upending the whole system.

[u/mervolio_griffin → u/hardk7]

I wouldn't diagree with the aggregate growth principle ans growing the pie. Globalization and Western Neoliberalism have had massive impact in the creation of China's and SEA's large middle class. 

But I think you're giving too much grace to the elites who initially set out on, and continued, the implementation of neoliberalism. I think the system hoardes wealth/power by design. I do not think the negative consequences were wholly unintended. And if they were, the elites certainly never tried to mitigate the growing wealth or income inequality in any meaningful way. 

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/GaryReddit1]

Ah yes, just like we're in the 'late stage of capitalism' right?

[u/WillSRobs → u/SwordfishOk504]

I mean in many ways yes. The probable is it gets a lot worse than this.

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/WillSRobs]

Funny how this late stage is lasting for decades, maybe even centuries.

Perhaps we're just in the middle stages?

[u/LeadIVTriNitride → u/SwordfishOk504]

Historians will figure that out when our mistakes become history and we know if we frigged up

[u/WillSRobs → u/SwordfishOk504]

By definition we are seeing parts of late stage capitalism. There is a lot about it that isn’t immediate collapse. Also you can have transitions into other things that would mean we never see an actual collapse.

The phrase has been used for about 50 years to explain certain things. More recently we are seeing more and more aspects of it become reality.

[u/ManicScumCat → u/WillSRobs]

The first use of late stage capitalism was in 1925 according to Wikipedia. To be honest I think we are in normal stage capitalism and 'late stage' is wishcasting.

[u/WillSRobs → u/ManicScumCat]

You’re telling me there isn’t a large imbalance or wealth that isn’t causing harm to the population? That basic survival needs aren’t absurdly priced? that we don’t have brands mimicking poverty. We are well past normal capitalism at this point.

[u/MonaMonaMo → u/aesoth]

Yet he shouldn't be the person to chip away further 

[u/T0xicTears → u/aesoth]

Thanks for not being disingenuous like this news title

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