Canada Post

[spiritrac]

Doctorkb.. Have you ever worked in a postal setting do you know that posties have to sort the mail that they carry? before even leaving the facilities
yes, some of them have assistance to help sort mail and some have mail sorters but could you imagine if that did not happen your mail would go to alberta rather than quebec or ontario dont knock someones job unless you have done it yourself

 

[CrazyLucy]

I think we can stop arguing, because Canada Post will be resuming on the 28th.

Right from Canadpost.com

http://clients.infopost.ca/en/

 

[spicymum]

canada post is back in business, people!
just saw it on the news.
yayyy!

 

[toby]

Sorry, I was not aware that knowing a few people working within a profession made you qualify to remark on how easy or hard that job is, and to know what it is that the people working within these professions deserve to make.

In that case, having known a few surgeons, lawyers, and CEOs, I must say they are terribly overpaid.

That's not a serious argument, Iamrobot. If your logic were sound, no one could reach any legitimate conclusion about another's profession/job without quitting one's day job and studying the other's job for months, even years.

The simpler the job, the easier it is to judge it. Conversely, the more complex the job, the harder it is to understand it and judge its value to society.

Knowing the complex educational requirements of surgeons, I assume they earn their incomes; I would need to study many, many surgeons before I dared to conclude that they were worth less than they currently make.

But postal workers are not surgeons. They don't handle lives; they handle mail. They are essentially unskilled labour, and you don't need to know many posties to reach a reasonable consclusion about their value to society.

A first-year engineer -- after 4-6 years of rigorous university, which the postie doesn't have -- assists in designing a bridge over which we will drive with our kids in the car. If he is worth $55,000 a year, how can senior postal workers be equal in value?

Some might say that the postie only attains $55,000 with experience, but with experience comes age, and an older postie doesn't become a better letter deliverer; instead he slows down, becomes a worse letter deliverer, and yet the union demands he get paid more.

In contrast, with experience the engineer may gain enough experience to lead the project to build the next bridge, and with that he assumes the responsibility, the heavy burden of making sure the bridge does not collapse under the car carrying our kids. He is worth more with experience; the postie is not.

So, let's not try to dismiss someone's opinions about posties merely because he doesn't know gazillions. If you think his views wrong, show us why.

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

my wifw works in canada post and i honestly think if you knew what her job was and how hard they all are working there you would have some respect for them.
i am beyond amazed at what they are expected to achieve,
not sure how much i am allowed to divulge
but she is single handedly loading and unloading all the trucks into and out of her depot tonight!!!
she has many work related on-going injuries but never misses a day of work because of them
and some people have thousands of hours sick time they have accrued that is going to be wiped clean if these new cuts are brought into effect!
i do think we should all walk a mile in their shoes...

I am sure your wife is one of the good ones but you have to admit there are thousands that are not.. we have all seen them. I have three cousins that all work for Canada Post and many many years ago when I was a young lad I worked as a temp over the Christmas rush and trust me they are NOT even close to all hard workers. Just like in any other business there is good and bad. The problem is once you have a union shop it's hard to ever deal in reality again.. the Union needs to justify why it exists and must keep asking for more and more or the membership will think they are not doing their job. I was in Cupe Local 79 for five years and I remember very clearly how they would tell us all the insane stuff we were asking for each contract as they had run out of legitimate things to request.. I have been in shoes much like your wife and I can tell you first hand many many union workers follow the same pattern of taking advantage of being in a Union... of course not saying all do.

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

How can you say that? Striking is a fundamental human right

haha, it is? When did that happen? Sounds like somebody is a Union supporter through and through.. why let a little reality get in the way.

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

That's not a serious argument, Iamrobot. If your logic were sound, no one could reach any legitimate conclusion about another's profession/job without quitting one's day job and studying the other's job for months, even years.

The simpler the job, the easier it is to judge it. Conversely, the more complex the job, the harder it is to understand it and judge its value to society.

Knowing the complex educational requirements of surgeons, I assume they earn their incomes; I would need to study many, many surgeons before I dared to conclude that they were worth less than they currently make.

But postal workers are not surgeons. They don't handle lives; they handle mail. They are essentially unskilled labour, and you don't need to know many posties to reach a reasonable consclusion about their value to society.

A first-year engineer -- after 4-6 years of rigorous university, which the postie doesn't have -- assists in designing a bridge over which we will drive with our kids in the car. If he is worth $55,000 a year, how can senior postal workers be equal in value?

Some might say that the postie only attains $55,000 with experience, but with experience comes age, and an older postie doesn't become a better letter deliverer; instead he slows down, becomes a worse letter deliverer, and yet the union demands he get paid more.

In contrast, with experience the engineer may gain enough experience to lead the project to build the next bridge, and with that he assumes the responsibility, the heavy burden of making sure the bridge does not collapse under the car carrying our kids. He is worth more with experience; the postie is not.

So, let's not try to dismiss someone's opinions about posties merely because he doesn't know gazillions. If you think his views wrong, show us why.

Damn... I wish I wrote that post.... outstanding work, logical and filled with common sense...no way a Union member will understand it hahahaha. just joking relax... but you have to admit it is amazing how little the Union shops like competition... ;-)

 

[JimM]

haha, it is? When did that happen? Sounds like somebody is a Union supporter through and through.. why let a little reality get in the way.

God forbid the peons stand up for themselves. Go back to fantasizing about the good old days of serfdom, slavery and child labour....

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

God forbid the peons stand up for themselves. Go back to fantasizing about the good old days of serfdom, slavery and child labour....

What Peons are you talking about? The 3x plus minimum wage earners at CP? It always amuses me when Union supporters act like without Unions somehow the whole world will fall apart, when at this point in time Unions are actually a huge drain on society when balanced against they good they do beyond their paying members.

There is no doubt that at one point in time many many years ago Unions were needed and needed badly but that time has passed. Please don't tell me how we need Unions I belonged to one in the City of Toronto for five long years and saw first hand the insanity there is NO question that most of the people that worked in the same Union as I did were totally out of touch with reality and being paid based on the quality of their work was a concept unknown to them. Most were scared to death of having to make a living in the real world where they couldn't hide behind their Union's skirt

There will always be company owners that push safety standards and pay below market wages and so forth and nobody is claiming otherwise, but Unions now have become a big fat disgusting Pig with their snout in the corporate purse and believe that when times are good they deserve to be paid as such and when times are bad it's not their fault and they are not giving anything back unless forced.

As for your stupid comments about serfdom, slavery and child labour... well you are living in a dream world if you think those things do not exist even right now, they never went anywhere and no more so than in many Unions... have you ever been in a Union and had a real honest moral difference with something your Union was asking for? Try it some time see how long your Union "brothers and sisters" have your back...

 

[rjessome]

In a Capitalist society, wages are determined and paid based on the value given to the job by that same society and what the market can bear. The society pays the most for what it wants the most. Think about some of the highest paid people in our society. They are actors, singers, models, and athletes. A university degree is not necessary for any of those jobs last I heard. Talent, athletic ability and good genetics go into their job descriptions. The President of the United States is paid less per year than Gisele Bundchen. But then I guess Mr. Obama doesn't look quite as good in a Victoria Secret's bra. A plastic surgeon specializing in boob jobs and botox injections makes more than say, Harald zur Hausen. Don't recognize his name? He's the Nobel Laureate who discovered the human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer.

The wage rate of unskilled labour is also determined by who pays the bills. Unskilled labour in the oil patch of northern Alberta and it's offshoot industries can earn between $50 and $100K a year. Why? Because the oil companies can and will pay it due to society's over consumption and excessive demand for petroleum products.

I'm glad Canada Post is going back to work. I'm sure most of the workers are too as well as management. CP is in no danger of going bankrupt and the workers can go back to earning a living, paying their mortgages and feeding their kids. Business as usual.

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

In a Capitalist society, wages are determined and paid based on the value given to the job by that same society and what the market can bear. The society pays the most for what it wants the most.

Couldn't agree with you more. That of course is the problem with Unions. They create a value for a job that at one point in time might make sense, but when society then looks at that job and says Hey we don't want to pay that salary anymore or tries to stop a Union from having a monopoly on any given industry suddenly the whole concept of collective bargaining goes out the window. Unions NEVER give anything back without pulling teeth. That is not how it works in the real world.

Plus slightly off topic but I also get sick and tired of hearing that old red herring thrown out about how the BOD of this or that company and how they are just trying to line their pockets on the back of their workers etc..etc.. but funny I don't see those complaining out there starting up businesses of their own and spending money on all the things needed to do so and risking everything to employee others, I do think they are entitled to the lion's share of the profits. If they treat their employees badly enough they will pay for it where it counts.

Anyway this subject has likely been beaten to death.. I just had to catch up with the thread having been away for a few days.. all done.. back to lurk mode

 

[ddobro2]

Yep, I first heard it too on the Montreal news Sunday night. We'll see what we find in the mailbox Tuesday (I'm not expecting much given that it's just the first day back).

canada post is back in business, people!
just saw it on the news.
yayyy!

 

[JimM]

As for your stupid comments about serfdom, slavery and child labour... well you are living in a dream world if you think those things do not exist even right now, they never went anywhere

So since rape and murder still exist in the world we shouldn't bother making them illegal either?

 

[CrazyLucy]

So since rape and murder still exist in the world we shouldn't bother making them illegal either?

Actually, serfdom, slavery and child labour are legal in the countries where it is practiced. And believe it or not, but rape and murder is probably not scrutinized in some countries. Either way, you missed the point.

 

[JimM]

Actually, serfdom, slavery and child labour are legal in the countries where it is practiced. And believe it or not, but rape and murder is probably not scrutinized in some countries. Either way, you missed the point.

Oh no, your point was quite clear, workers should have no right to try to get better conditions for themselves, they should be happy for the crumbs thrown to them. But hey, nice to know you really do support serfdom and slavery as long as its legal....