how many to pour a sidewalk

[Edmonton newbie]

Originally Posted by gobytron

I think the point here is more that there is of course major benefits to being in a union...just not for those who pay for them.

like tax payers in many cases.

Unions are an antiquated aspect of civilization from a time before there was sufficient human rights advocacy.

They are outdated in todays competetive market place and a HUGE reason why the US cant keep their massive debt in check.


That being said, given an opportunity, I would love to be part of a union.
It's stressfull being employed purely on skill and work ethic in a competitive market place.

I cant even imagine what "seniority" feels like....lol

wow great point of view for a province that has been socialist ever since i was in diapers lmao its one thing to judge all the unions by watching the city crews work its another to get off the couch and join a working trade. Again just dont cast that one stone and claim that we all get hit by it

[darb]

Wow, I see that there is a lot of misinformation about unions in this thread.

Lets use the original post as an example. I am not sure about Edmonton, but typically in most of the Vancouver suburb cities it is the subdivision developer who is responsible for building (to civic standards) utilities, roads, sidewalks etc which is contracted out to private firms. So all of the speciality crews that you saw come in very well could be one or a series of private companies with each crew specializing in a or a series of tasks. Long gone are the days where we have well rounded workers who can perform a multitude of tasks well, but Mcworkers who only focus on one specific task. But obviously, no one crew was ever able to install gas power and communication lines.

From what I have seen, all of the true union companies (CLAC excluded) in construction are as hard working and dedicated as any of the best non union companies that I have seen. As a matter of fact, all non union workers have unions and union workers to thank for their wage rates. Without unions to set the standard, wages would be significantly lower across all industries in Canada.

In terms of union wages of municipal workers in Vancouver, they are not that great, matter of fact they are significantly lower than one could make anywhere else. The trade off comes in the long term stability and pension.

Unions also don't just represent themselves but often have programs to promote social justice in developing countries where basic human rights are trampled all to the overt or blind eye of the government, which are often committed by large multination corporations.

Oh, and BTW I am not a union worker myself, just a member of middle management that recognises that unions have played an important part in our history, currently play a necessary role and have a strong role to play in the future of our country.