CUPE can kiss my hiney.....

There is a planned legislation for the province to offload some of there pension responsibilities to the city when the legislature comes back into session. As I understand it, the province will download to the city and make some pension benefits contract negotiable to the city's emergency workers (Police, Paramedics, and the fire folks). These will all us to retire just a little bit earlier, with a little better pensions. Naturally this is near and dear to my heart.

The CUPE boss in Hamilton, a Gus Oliveira, is mad because this benefit will not be extended to his members, largely day-care workers, librarians, garbage collectors, school board members and other municipal workers. He is threatening strike action of some-sort to show his discontent.

Here is what is reported. Mr. Oliveira represents about 2500 workers. He states that he has a vote of 84% in favour of strike. He also states that about 800 workers voted for strike. My math says that 800 does not equal 84% of 2500. While I grant you have to be present to vote, some CUPE members say they didn't even KNOW about a vote. I smell a rat.

No question it is Mr. Oliveira's job to stick up for his people, and for the record I would never demean anyone's choice of employment. What grinds my gears someone in my profession who in one day can face exposure to HIV, Hep B and C, AIDS and numerous other pathogens, who in the same day can face emotionally disturbed and suicidal patients (and for the record, the line between suicidal and homicidal can be razor thin), can face coked-out, strung-out addicts who are none to pleased that you are going to kill their buzz AFTER they realize you stuck a tube down their nose. We also face multiple other day to day dangers of our job where we literally risk our life going by going into work. Not to mention the fact that we are often responsible for making split second decisions on the best way to try and save someone's life. You want mental exhaustion, try that on for size one day. I'm not even going to get started on what the Police or fire people face.

Apparently, CUPE thinks we should not be able to retire a little bit early (don't even get me started on burn out numbers) because the librarians and school custodians can't; and apparently that's just not fair.

In all liklihood, this won't happen because the city just can't afford it. I honestly can't see the city that doesn't care about giving it's Paramedics a contract ever caring about giving them better retirement benefits. I will say that Mr. Oliveira is welcome to ride in my truck any time he likes, but for now he can kiss my hairy Scottish hiney.

'Nuff said.