With two by-elections now underway and a possible Ontario provincial election later this year, it's time to address the backlash against Tim Hudak and the Ontario PC Party by Ontario union leaders. I'm talking both public and private sector union leaders. Since 2003 the people have been subjected to staggering incompetence, scandals, and billion upon billion of wasted tax dollars through poor planning, scandal, or just complete apathy to taxpayers by the McGuinty/Wynne Liberal government.
Which is why union leaders supporting first McGuinty and now Wynne is so perplexing. Under the previous PC government of Mike Harris, jobs were created. I'm talking good paying manufacturing jobs. The CAW was able to negotiate excellent wage increases for it's members, as well as increased holidays, bonuses, etc. New workers were hired in the thousands as companies added 2nd and 3rd shift production. This wasn't restricted to the auto industry. Numerous manufacturing jobs were added as the PC's under Harris created an environment where companies saw value in setting up shop in Ontario or expanding current operations.
Workers, both union and non-union benefited with lower taxes, giving more take-home pay. That in turn led to more spending, giving the economy an even bigger jump start. The budget was balanced, allowing more money to be spent on the province's needs as opposed to interest on an ever increasing debt left over from both the NDP and previous Liberal government. And the PC's managed to do this at the same time the federal Liberal government was taking away billions in transfer payments.
Then the 2003 election took place, with the Liberals and Dalton McGuinty forming a majority government. His first act as premier was to impose a health tax, that took billions out of the economy. He had the WSIB jack up employer premiums. He put in place policy that increased electricity costs in excess of 30%. He increased user fees, charging more for everything such as license plate renewals, to a sham of a supposed enviro tax on things the people of Ontario buy everyday. I recently bought a tv for $199.99. Then there was the hst of $26 and, wait for it, an enviro fee of $25. The federal government increased transfers to Ontario in the billions. Money that a competent PC government would have put to good use. Things like infrastructure and health care. As the Sunshine list grew by 1000's, lower scale workers were laid off, many of them union members, to balance the books due to increased management costs. The same thing has occurred at hospitals across the province, with staff and housekeeping cut to offset management salaries. The recent revelations at OPG are anothe prime example.
Under a PC government led by Tim Hudak, union members would benefit from lower taxes, job creation through policy that encourages investment, rather than send it south of the border and overseas. An increased and prosperous economy would lift the financial strain imposed in the last 10 years of Liberal rule. Hudak would not implement another 10 cent per liter tax on gasoline. That would be an additional 10 cents above the 8% added when the hst was implemented. Hudak would slow down the poorly thought out green energy policy, resulting in lower rates.
I could go on and on, But you get my point. Anyone living in Ontario would be better off with a PC government, especially union members. So can someone explain union leaders opposition to Hudak with any kind of rationale?
The union leaders will loose their dictatorial powers over their members which is what is frightening them. As you say the members would be better off in many ways.
ReplyDeleteDo union leaders even consider the economic best interests of members any longer? How do you explain the CAW walking down the green brick road with McGuinty-Wynne. Green energy as perceived by Liberals can never begin to create the jobs lost,if it creates any jobs at all. Surely rank and file members can see this, so how do their leaders get elected?
ReplyDeleteIt's the old boys club Martin. Many of the members of the CAW National, oops, sorry, Unifor, were union reps on the plant floor that got booted out in elections for not doing their jobs as representatives. But if they were one of the ones on the "in", they would be named to a nice cushy job at the National, coplete with perks like per diems and car allowances.
ReplyDeleteIn the plant I worked in there were always, lets call them irregularites, whenever it came time to vote for union reps, including people voting more than once, more otes total than ballots cast, and people voting for reps in different districts than their own.
Years back when I was still in the plant I incurred the wrath of both the local and natioal CAW for exposing abuse of overtime by union reps at the same time the people on the line were being told to turn overtime down.
We had reps caught emailing porn, drinking and smoking weed, with nary a peep from the national.
Want a perfect example of CAW, oops, did it again, Unifor patronage, look no further than NDP MP Peggy Nash. Gets a six-figure salary from the national, gets elected, gets booted and gets her job back at the national, and then runs and gets elected again.
Funny you never hear Buzz Hargrove, Jerry Diaz, or Ken Lewenza mention that public pension she'll be getting worth millions.