Thursday, July 30, 2009
Comrade Miller strikes
After six weeks of mounting garbage, union-boss bullying and cancelled events, Toronto Mayor David Miller caved in and gave striking city workers just about everything they wanted.
And make no mistake, Commissar Miller folded like a cheap tent. The union wanted a pay raise; they got it. The union wanted to keep a benefit plan which awarded workers 18 sick days a year (they could also accumulate these “sick days” for a payout when they retire) he let them keep it, though it will be gradually phased out.
It seems there is no recession in Toronto Public Workers Land.
Mind you, no one should be surprised by Miller’s surrender. After all, he has always cared more about appeasing unions than representing the interests of Toronto taxpayers. It’s like Howard Levitt wrote in the National Post, “expecting Mayor David Miller to deal effectively with the unions was always the equivalent of expecting a fox to responsibly administer a henhouse.”
A union victory, in other words, was preordained. That's why it actually would have better had Miller sold out taxpayers at the beginning of the bargaining process as this would have at least spared the city the anguish and inconvenience of the strike.
And of course, it’s taxpayers who will end up paying for this sweet deal. So hang onto your wallets Torontonians, Miller’s socialist revolution is only getting started.
And make no mistake, Commissar Miller folded like a cheap tent. The union wanted a pay raise; they got it. The union wanted to keep a benefit plan which awarded workers 18 sick days a year (they could also accumulate these “sick days” for a payout when they retire) he let them keep it, though it will be gradually phased out.
It seems there is no recession in Toronto Public Workers Land.
Mind you, no one should be surprised by Miller’s surrender. After all, he has always cared more about appeasing unions than representing the interests of Toronto taxpayers. It’s like Howard Levitt wrote in the National Post, “expecting Mayor David Miller to deal effectively with the unions was always the equivalent of expecting a fox to responsibly administer a henhouse.”
A union victory, in other words, was preordained. That's why it actually would have better had Miller sold out taxpayers at the beginning of the bargaining process as this would have at least spared the city the anguish and inconvenience of the strike.
And of course, it’s taxpayers who will end up paying for this sweet deal. So hang onto your wallets Torontonians, Miller’s socialist revolution is only getting started.
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