tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post1140292071243299643..comments2024-03-11T14:32:24.872-07:00Comments on Labour & Employment in Alberta: Freezing public-sector wages by returning the right to strikeBob Barnetsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12164225489620639641noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-32836934665659113372014-02-27T18:25:17.063-08:002014-02-27T18:25:17.063-08:00Yes, I think you may be correct on the last paragr...Yes, I think you may be correct on the last paragraph. Also, it is important to remember that public support certainly makes it easier for people to man a picket line. But if I am correct, union leaders would be wise to concentrate their money and time not on trying to sway public opinion, but rather on educating their members on how to stay solid in the face of public opposition. <br />- David HarriganUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859261144688311221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-64741764827002612182014-02-27T15:15:08.185-08:002014-02-27T15:15:08.185-08:00And now the government has posted its latest (and ...And now the government has posted its latest (and "best") offer online. Hancock sounds exasperated.<br /><br />http://alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=3594094F14EE1-A14A-6D90-0F0313A0239B8A76Bob Barnetsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12164225489620639641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-83464487996723118142014-02-27T12:42:32.341-08:002014-02-27T12:42:32.341-08:00An interesting update on AUPE negotiations. The pr...An interesting update on AUPE negotiations. The province made some significant moves but still seems stuck on wage freezes. Sounds a like a loser position at arbitration so perhaps the game plan is to go to arbitration, lose and blame the arbitrator? http://www.aupe.org/news/government-sticks-to-wage-freeze-demands-while-posting-14-billion-surplus/<br /><br />That's a viable approach (available to the government since the beginning) but accepting it seems like a pretty serious condemnation of the whole Bills 45&46 "strategy".Bob Barnetsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12164225489620639641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-86374105106717332232014-02-27T08:44:25.663-08:002014-02-27T08:44:25.663-08:00Fascinating comment, David--both the points you ma...Fascinating comment, David--both the points you make and the research question it raises. I think you'd need to build into the analysis temporal factors (is the past a reliable guide for the present, given the last 30 years of union bashing?) and geographic factors (are cases outside of Alberta relevant?). <br /><br />I also wonder if public support might benefit from being conceptualized in more nuanced ways. For example, one might hate (or love) the strike, but still exert pressure on the government to end it because of how it affects your life. Very interesting ideas. Bob Barnetsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12164225489620639641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-30780691212285703302014-02-26T19:49:58.799-08:002014-02-26T19:49:58.799-08:00Excellent post, as always. I certainly agree with ...Excellent post, as always. I certainly agree with your comments on Minister Handcock’s odd statements, but I disagree with your overall hypothesis. <br /><br />After more than 25 years in the labour movement, I am not convinced that there is any correlation between public support and success in job action. Even in the public sector.<br /><br />Looking at Alberta, I believe that the early strikes by registered nurses were not generally supported by the public. Striking nurses were called “baby killers” and endured much ager. But the gains were tremendous. The last strike by registered nurses (1988) had tremendous public support. UNA was fined many hundreds of thousands of dollars - and was able to pay all through donations. But the actual gains made that round were not huge. <br /><br />And old farts like me can recall growing up in the 1970s. At that time, anger and hatred toward CUPW was the glue that held this country together. Indeed, the relationship between the general public and CUPW was best summed up by then President Joe Davidson, who at the outset of a 42 days strike, responded to a reporter’s question with: “to hell with the public.” His successor, Jean-Claude Parrot was equally unpopular with the general public - there was no rebellion when he was jailed for 2 months for not telling his members to go back to work. But CUPW negotiated some the best agreements in its time, including the first paid maternity leave in Canada.<br /><br />So my theory, however counter-intuitive, is that even in the public sector, there is no correlation between public support and success in job action. If I am correct, I think there are very serious strategy implications both for public sector unions and for Governments. <br /><br />I have always thought this would make an excellent research project.<br /><br />- David HarriganUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859261144688311221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8332706231179330796.post-85492122584919549122014-02-26T19:47:08.777-08:002014-02-26T19:47:08.777-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859261144688311221noreply@blogger.com