A Windsor, Ontario radio station is conducting a new poll:
Wisconsin is moving to strip the state’s public employees of collective bargaining rights. Do you support the move?
Feel free to cast your vote here. Then click on “News Poll” on the left, near the middle.
Done. NO is currently at 57%, not a great turn-out for a UAW town I must say. Maybe they’ve been looking across the river.
Remember Windsor is a hotbed of Leftie activity. I’d be surprised if the NO vote didn’t exceed 75%
Neck and neck now…
cna’t vote, site blocked:(
The question is false – the legislation does not strip the unions of collective bargaining rights, it limits them to wage issues. But I voted in support of the governor’s position anyway.
says I have already voted? I didn’t
I think it’s generally a mistake to look at U.S. and Canadian situations, extrapolate and come to the same conclusion and solutions. Whether it’s healthcare, religion, guns, unions or politics, we just ain’t the same animal.
As of 2:42 Eastern:
Yes: 341
No: 406
Can’t vote either – I assume it’s because the LAN I’m on (with 6000 puters) has already voted once…
I just did the deed….
Yes—-57%
At 1:54PM CST:
Yes 57.27% (465 votes)
No 42.73% (347 votes)
Total votes: 812
Voted
No, it’s because your organization’s firewall trips the already voted counter. Same with me and there’s no way anybody at this place would have voted.
I just voted. I live in Windsor.
The tide is changing in this town. After the last couple of years watching the CAW destroy business and the big CUPE strike last summer. Things are changing here.
Public Unions have often been disasterous for public policy — in some places they have practically replaced the role of elected officials.
It’s too bad because in response there is a renewed call to privatize everything again — the traditional role of “public servant” is becoming anachronistic. IMO a better solution would be to abolish the Public Unions and keep “public servants”, and enact legislation to observe certain labour standards for them — high standards and good wages but not the over-the-top stuff.
Even the private sector can adopt creative things to avoid labour unrest and the millions wasted on unionization. Dofasco (Dominion Foundries and Steel) was a good example of a union buster: While unionized Stelco employees continually went on strike resulting in millions in losses, its non-unionized Dofasco competition would simply bide its time and wait for the Stelco settlement. Whatever Stelco decided would automatically be matched by Dofasco plus 1 cent more! But without the downtime, production losses, etc.
The last time the BCGEU went on strike in BC the managers took over from the union workers, the service was better.
Wish the gubmint workers would stay on strike, save us taxpayers billions.
Yes is at 64%…
It seems every week there is some threat or other of a public service union strike in Canada … meanwhile their private sector unions are remarkably quiet … I wonder why that is (sarcasm OFF) .
Thomas, US & Canada just ain’t the same animal? Depends on the state. Besides, all the countries of the Anglosphere, what’s left of it, have a lot in common. Maybe not all the same animal, but the same species.
“It seems every week there is some threat or other of a public service union strike in Canada … ”
Brian
J.Gormley has been predicting a mass organized multi-union walk-out leading-up to the 2012 Saskatchewan election. Things have been very quiet on the labour front for a few years. I think JG is right, and I’ve got my ‘beer & popcorn’ ready. Saskatchewan is poised to be the ‘Wisconsin of the North’ because of it’s history, it’s current popular Right-Wing government, and the fact that the Unions have been preparing for this for years.
Were I orchestrating this mass walk-out, I’d have the calendar set for early winter 2011-12 when the most damage can be done. Can’t strike if the kiddies are off for summer break dontcha know?
It’s not bargaining when both sides have a hand in each-other’s pocket.
(unions, who donate to and elect the politicians, vs the politicians who pay the unions)
It’s an intrinsically corrupt system.
I live in Windsor, true CUPE & Caw are weakened but it should be known that councillor Dave Brister was the one who initiated the outsourcing the privatization in Windsor. Not Eddie Francis who just lifted the credit as he does all the time.
Aviator correctly identified that question as posed is incorrect, as the legislation does NOT disband unions, or strip workers of collective bargaining rights (CBR), or deny them the right to strike; all of which I wouldn’t support, either. Freedom of association guarantees workers the right to organize and to act as a group.
But that’s not what the legislation calls for;it says CBR must be limited to pay, and not benefits. And the reasons for that are obvious, once you stop to think about it. Pay is something that can be costed today, accurately, and budgeted for immediately. Benefits are something that can’t be costed accurately, ever, and they don’t affect the budget for years (but then they can affect the budget for decades). Walker is trying to cut the wild card out of deck of negotiation. He’s done a terrible job of publicly stating his position, and the MSM have, as usual, completely misrepresented it. Perhaps he could take some lessons from Chris Christie?
Chris Christie explains reality to police officer
SDA gets results:
69.85% Yes
30.15% No
(4:05 PM CST, 25/02/11
Yes now at 75%.
confierms my suspicision that if Canadian were actually allowed to VOTE on stuff, a lot of “unsolveable” problems, like immigration, deficits and what not would get solved VERY FAST.
Confirms my suspicion…
I can spell. really.
Obviously it should be” you can either work in public service or belong to a union, not both.
When politicians and union bosses negotiate behind closed doors, there will always be one loser, the taxpayer.
Rick
71% YES
I think you clever folk just demonstrated exactly why there is a disclaimer on the website saying “This is not a scientific poll”. Not only is the sampling not representative, but injudicious idiots can be made to do all sorts of crazy things. Kate says jump, and you misguided lemmings jump.
Kudos to you Kate, you’re obviously quite a charm.
Ooops, it’s worse than I thought. The lemmings fell for Kate’s half-witted lackey. Now I have grave concerns…
Freeping is a public service.
But lest we forget, Bill Stewart, when CBC conducted the poll, “Who’s the Greatest Canadian?” and the Socialists & Communists went on a rabid campaign to push Tommy Douglas to the top, you never issued a peep about that, did you?
You are a HYPOCRITE! Sorry, let me correct that:
Bill Stewart, Hypocrite, Ph.D.
According to urban dictionary:
“Freeper is A knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, foam at the mouth, rabid dog, conservative nutcase who spends time between killing small animals posting on the Conservative Republican Porn site freerepublic.com.
Lead by king nutcase Jim Robinson, also known as Rimjob, these bizarre freaks spend their days franticly masterbating over pictures of Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, and their Bush Christ, and spewing the daily talking points from the Reich Wing.
Most FREEPERS seem to believe that their King, Dumbya the 1st, walks on water, heals the sick, brings sight to the blind, and truly is the Son of God (Funny, I didn’t know God had retarded offspring)
FREEPERS can be recognized from the following attributes. Fat, Ugly, Stupid, Angry, redneck.”
Freeping can refer to the practice of intentionally stacking and biasing poll results, but freeping can also mean Facebook stalking, especially when it comes to creepily stalking girls on Facebook.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you intended the former meaning.
“injudicious idiots can be made to do all sorts of crazy things”
Bill’s shocked and angered because he realized he’ll be ever known as the dullard unknowingly hitting on Robert.
Bobby lighten up a little will ya?
“when CBC conducted the poll, “Who’s the Greatest Canadian?” and the Socialists & Communists went on a rabid campaign to push Tommy Douglas to the top”
Do you have any proof? If so I will publicly denounce the validity of that poll. But you are ignoring another possibility. Perhaps the CBC self-selects for the intelligent strata of Canadian society and therefore Tommy Douglas would have to be considered one of the greatest Canadians ever. This self-selection bias, however, wouldn’t explain why Don Cherry ranked so highly in that poll, but “freeping” would…
@richfisher: why do you have to eroticize everything? I mean its not like I was talking about the F-35 or something. Personally I think Bobby is much more thick skinned than you, and he’s more than capable of answering/ grunting for himself. Just kidding…
Have a good weekend folks. Peace out.
News for Billy…
Nobody tells me how to vote.
I visit this site because I appreciate the undercurrent of liberty and freedom of thought and opinion.
Unions, on the other hand, tell their members how to act, how to think and how to vote. And they don’t ask me what I think about how they spend my union dues.
That’s what Unions do.
See the difference Bill?
Bill Stewart @ 6:47 PM – thanks for the belly laughs, Bill. What a hilarious comment! “Perhaps the CBC self-selects…” HA-HA-HA! WHAT A HOOT!
BTW, were you trying to look ridiculous? That is precisely how you came across! In any case, thanks again for the laugh – it was good thing I was not eating or drinking when I read your comment. What a HOOT!
Someone with a brain might be careful about associating ‘self selection’ for intelligence and Tommy ‘Eugenics’ Douglas.
From mises.org:
The Political Economy of Government Employee Unions.
“For decades, researchers have noted that the more money that is spent per pupil in the government schools, the worse is the performance of the students. Similar outcomes are prevalent in all other areas of government “service.” As Milton Friedman once wrote, government bureaucracies — especially unionized ones — are like economic black holes where increased “inputs” lead to declining “outputs.” The more that is spent on government schools, the less educated are the students. The more that is spent on welfare, the more poverty there is, and so on. This of course is the exact opposite of normal economic life in the private sector, where increased inputs lead to more products and services, not fewer.”
Yes 72.93% (1274 votes)
No 27.07% (473 votes)
Total votes: 1747
It has gone horribly wrong.
Freepers masterbate, I always thought there was a you in masturbate, Bill.
“Perhaps the CBC self-selects for the intelligent strata of Canadian society and therefore Tommy Douglas would have to be considered one of the greatest Canadians ever.”
Who says the Lefty trolls we get here are humorless?
“J.Gormley has been predicting a mass organized multi-union walk-out leading-up to the 2012 Saskatchewan election”
I usually agree with Gormley, however I think he may be wrong on this one. What possible purpose would be served by a mass walk-out? Intimidate Saskatchewan voters into casting their ballots for the NDP? Sending a message to the government? Saskatchewanians are enjoying prosperity and good government for the first time in decades and they aren’t about to return to the good old days of have-not province status, equalization payments and organized labour calling the shots in Regina.
A mass walk-out would be a disastrous move on the part of the unions who no longer garner public sympathy as they did in the past.
Even the most obtuse union leaders have to recognize the indisputable fact that Saskatchewan has changed.
Well Billie boy, I have to give you some cred but only because you are a bit more of a wordsmith than new and not as annoying as beagle.
As of 9:32 PM EST, the vote is:
YES-1,495/73.86%
NO- 529/26.14%
Oh Billy… you epitomize the mental illness of the left. Thanks for the laughs. Just what I needed at the end of a long week of dealing with government cr*p. If you take requests, could you riff on Obambi tossing everyone under the bus? Thanks, dude and peace out to you too.
What blueteck said @ 6:57.
I just voted and would like to see the question put to all Canadians.
I do believe that some here would prefer the Soviet style of picking candidates and voting.
A report floating around suggested that sixty-six percent of Wisconsin elementary school students couldn’t read proficiently. The idea of “collective bargaining agreements” at this point isn’t so much absurd as it is immoral. The teachers have a professional and ethical obligation to help those students before they can even think of taking the public’s money. When these smug SOBs talk about “the children” remind them of the children they failed.
Bill studied lefty manual, chapter one:
When up the creek without a scrape of an argument, throw manners, decorum, civility out the window. Immediatly back that up with a tantrum.
However,be warned you will look like a jackass doing so!
But that is your God given right. AND no one has the right to stop you…..