Edgar (aka Eddie) and the word "failure" seem to go a lot together in my BLOGs these days.
To be direct, the best thing Edgar has going for him is a CUPE leadership who has still not figured out that they need to change the thinking of Windsorites about them and how to do it. Going in front of Council is a waste of time; submissions achieve little. No one wants to listen to them because politically there is no advantage in doing so. Heck, they won't even allow their own management into the in camera room to help them understand what is at stake in teh garbage outsourcing.
To be direct, the best thing Edgar has going for him is a CUPE leadership who has still not figured out that they need to change the thinking of Windsorites about them and how to do it. Going in front of Council is a waste of time; submissions achieve little. No one wants to listen to them because politically there is no advantage in doing so. Heck, they won't even allow their own management into the in camera room to help them understand what is at stake in teh garbage outsourcing.
It really is not that hard to beat Edgar on labour issues in spite of the one-sided Star coverage. He actually is quite vulnerable after the slap in the face that the Ontario Deputy Minister of Labour gave to Council re arbitrations.
What a slap in the face to the new CAO, Helga Reidel. She has to be concerned. When is her staff going to be replaced in City negotiations since they did not do their job in beating down CUPE and the Firefighters as expected?
Mere days after she said that the City would negotiate with the Firefighters to try and reach settlement on a "final" contract after the disastrous "interim award" rather than to go to arbitration, we learn this about Police negotiations:
"Anticipating a tough round of talks, the police services board has decided to play hardball and is bringing in an outside negotiator — perhaps for the first time in its history — to lead contract talks with the association representing police officers.
“This will be a difficult set of negotiations. There are significant issues, and the bottom line is affordability for us,” said Mayor Eddie Francis, who chairs the board.
As with the recent bitter CUPE strike and the acrimony surrounding a new deal for city hall’s non-union managers and professionals, ending post-retirement benefits for new hires is expected to become a key demand. But reining in annual pay hikes exceeding three per cent is another major issue the employer has put on the table as the board and the association representing police officers exchanged contract proposals Monday.
“From my perspective, everything is on the table,” said Francis."
Oh no, another high-priced lawyer/consultant who lives out of town. How can he possibly understand our situation, Mr. Mayor.
It's actually hilarious. Edgar cannot afford to have another loss attributed to him. A 101-day CUPE strike and a 3 year arbitration is his legacy. Compare that with Ken Lewenza who achieved settlements with WUC and Transit Windsor acceptable to the taxpayers with NO labour unrest.
Hardliners have failed and have to waste money bringing in outside help. What a laugh. But the Star glorifies them anyway.
If you are so silly as to believe that Windsor's approach to police negotiations is a "one-off" because of Windsor's unique economic position, do not make me laugh.
The hiring of Glenn Christie by Edgar suggests strongly to me that Edgar is trying to make up for his CUPE failure by being the guinea pig for tough Police negotiations across the Province. He has to re-establish himself with the other Mayors because his near-riot was ultimately responsible for the Toronto strike falling apart and chasing David Miller out of town in Toronto.
After all, Christie's firm is quite invovled with Police services Boards across the Province and ran a seminar entitled:
ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF POLICE SERVICES BOARDS
Police Services Board Seminar for Sections 10 & 31:
“The Theory and the Practice of Relationship Building, Priority Setting and Monitoring” &
“Labour Relations Board Governance Training”
Co-Chairs: Mary Smiley, President, OAPSB
Glenn P. Christie, Partner, Hicks Morley"
Administration was asked by Councillor Gignac I believe at Council if the Firefighters were part of a Province-wide system of bargaining by their Union. The Admin rep said he did not know. I wonder why Councillir Gignac did not ask the same question with respect to the City being part of a management group!
Here is what hiring Mr. Christie is all about:
"City negotiators have already taken a run at removing retiree benefits from Huron Lodge nurses, the police and fire departments.
But each of those groups do not have the right to strike and their contract disputes go to arbitration. Councillors say that fight is nearly impossible to win -- unless a new deal with CUPE workers provides a precedent.
"The idea is if (retiree benefits for) new hires are removed from CUPE, there is a better opportunity to do the same with police and fire down the road." Halberstadt said.
A large number of police forces in Ontario have retiree benefits, including the OPP, said John Burrows administrator and general counsel for the Windsor Police Association.
The issue of removing retiree benefits from the police contract was raised during the last round of negotiations in 2007, but eventually dropped by the police services board. The deal that was ultimately reached two years ago expires on Dec. 31.
If police board negotiators try to get rid of retiree benefits there is going to be a fight...
Even if a precedent is established through the CUPE dispute, police and fire duties have totally different effects on the health of employees and that cannot be ignored, Burrows said.
"Police and firefighting places a different stress on the human body," Burrows said. "Physical injuries and toll on emotional health -- these professions are not easy on their lives. Even divorce statistics bear that out. In retirement years, the community does owe them health benefits to take care of them. "
He compared the status of police and fire workers to military veterans being taken care of through benefits after returning from war.
"Policing today is just like urban warfare," Burrows said. "We have a duty to take care of the members."
He says a push by municipalities across Ontario and Canada in consultation with one another is fuelling the move to get rid of the retiree benefits.
"I'm not naive. I'm sure they are going to meetings and discussing their mutual interest. I don't think Windsor is unique."
The last time the local police force went to arbitration with the city was in the 1980s. Burrows says the city and the police association will be back before an arbitrator if the city puts the issue back on the table. "There is no option," he said."
Now you know why there were 14 meetings with the Firefighters and not one single bargaining issue was resolved.
Now you know why there was a three year Firefighters arbitration that is still going on fro at least another year
Now you know why CUPE had to be broken and why CUPE jobs are still being reduced
Now you know why PRBs were the big issue and still are
Now you know why Councillor Lewenza's Made in Windsor labour solution could never be accepted by the hardliners on Council.
Edgar's labour strategy has failed. He underestimated his Opposition. Here we go again.
What a slap in the face to the new CAO, Helga Reidel. She has to be concerned. When is her staff going to be replaced in City negotiations since they did not do their job in beating down CUPE and the Firefighters as expected?
Mere days after she said that the City would negotiate with the Firefighters to try and reach settlement on a "final" contract after the disastrous "interim award" rather than to go to arbitration, we learn this about Police negotiations:
"Anticipating a tough round of talks, the police services board has decided to play hardball and is bringing in an outside negotiator — perhaps for the first time in its history — to lead contract talks with the association representing police officers.
“This will be a difficult set of negotiations. There are significant issues, and the bottom line is affordability for us,” said Mayor Eddie Francis, who chairs the board.
As with the recent bitter CUPE strike and the acrimony surrounding a new deal for city hall’s non-union managers and professionals, ending post-retirement benefits for new hires is expected to become a key demand. But reining in annual pay hikes exceeding three per cent is another major issue the employer has put on the table as the board and the association representing police officers exchanged contract proposals Monday.
“From my perspective, everything is on the table,” said Francis."
Oh no, another high-priced lawyer/consultant who lives out of town. How can he possibly understand our situation, Mr. Mayor.
It's actually hilarious. Edgar cannot afford to have another loss attributed to him. A 101-day CUPE strike and a 3 year arbitration is his legacy. Compare that with Ken Lewenza who achieved settlements with WUC and Transit Windsor acceptable to the taxpayers with NO labour unrest.
Hardliners have failed and have to waste money bringing in outside help. What a laugh. But the Star glorifies them anyway.
If you are so silly as to believe that Windsor's approach to police negotiations is a "one-off" because of Windsor's unique economic position, do not make me laugh.
The hiring of Glenn Christie by Edgar suggests strongly to me that Edgar is trying to make up for his CUPE failure by being the guinea pig for tough Police negotiations across the Province. He has to re-establish himself with the other Mayors because his near-riot was ultimately responsible for the Toronto strike falling apart and chasing David Miller out of town in Toronto.
After all, Christie's firm is quite invovled with Police services Boards across the Province and ran a seminar entitled:
ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF POLICE SERVICES BOARDS
Police Services Board Seminar for Sections 10 & 31:
“The Theory and the Practice of Relationship Building, Priority Setting and Monitoring” &
“Labour Relations Board Governance Training”
Co-Chairs: Mary Smiley, President, OAPSB
Glenn P. Christie, Partner, Hicks Morley"
Administration was asked by Councillor Gignac I believe at Council if the Firefighters were part of a Province-wide system of bargaining by their Union. The Admin rep said he did not know. I wonder why Councillir Gignac did not ask the same question with respect to the City being part of a management group!
Here is what hiring Mr. Christie is all about:
"City negotiators have already taken a run at removing retiree benefits from Huron Lodge nurses, the police and fire departments.
But each of those groups do not have the right to strike and their contract disputes go to arbitration. Councillors say that fight is nearly impossible to win -- unless a new deal with CUPE workers provides a precedent.
"The idea is if (retiree benefits for) new hires are removed from CUPE, there is a better opportunity to do the same with police and fire down the road." Halberstadt said.
A large number of police forces in Ontario have retiree benefits, including the OPP, said John Burrows administrator and general counsel for the Windsor Police Association.
The issue of removing retiree benefits from the police contract was raised during the last round of negotiations in 2007, but eventually dropped by the police services board. The deal that was ultimately reached two years ago expires on Dec. 31.
If police board negotiators try to get rid of retiree benefits there is going to be a fight...
Even if a precedent is established through the CUPE dispute, police and fire duties have totally different effects on the health of employees and that cannot be ignored, Burrows said.
"Police and firefighting places a different stress on the human body," Burrows said. "Physical injuries and toll on emotional health -- these professions are not easy on their lives. Even divorce statistics bear that out. In retirement years, the community does owe them health benefits to take care of them. "
He compared the status of police and fire workers to military veterans being taken care of through benefits after returning from war.
"Policing today is just like urban warfare," Burrows said. "We have a duty to take care of the members."
He says a push by municipalities across Ontario and Canada in consultation with one another is fuelling the move to get rid of the retiree benefits.
"I'm not naive. I'm sure they are going to meetings and discussing their mutual interest. I don't think Windsor is unique."
The last time the local police force went to arbitration with the city was in the 1980s. Burrows says the city and the police association will be back before an arbitrator if the city puts the issue back on the table. "There is no option," he said."
Now you know why there were 14 meetings with the Firefighters and not one single bargaining issue was resolved.
Now you know why there was a three year Firefighters arbitration that is still going on fro at least another year
Now you know why CUPE had to be broken and why CUPE jobs are still being reduced
Now you know why PRBs were the big issue and still are
Now you know why Councillor Lewenza's Made in Windsor labour solution could never be accepted by the hardliners on Council.
Edgar's labour strategy has failed. He underestimated his Opposition. Here we go again.
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