[Newsbot]

Title: Midnight strike deadline looming over Ontario's liquor stores
Category: Provincial Politics
Posted By: OnTheIce
Date: 2013-05-16 06:57:26
Canadian

[OnTheIce]

Stock up!

[saturn_656]

There's always the Beer Store.

[CanadianJeff]

At least it sounds like the union will be planning to keep some stores open in the event of a strike.

[OnTheIce]

CanadianJeff CanadianJeff:

At least it sounds like the union will be planning to keep some stores open in the event of a strike.

Not the union, the managers.

[raydan]

High class grocery store stockers and cashiers using the fact that they work in a government monopoly to squeeze more money out of taxpayers' pocket, when they're already making (I'm guessing a bit) twice what they would make in private enterprise, not including all the other advantages.

[OnTheIce]

raydan raydan:

High class grocery store stockers and cashiers using the fact that they work in a government monopoly to squeeze more money out of taxpayers' pocket, when they're already making (I'm guessing a bit) twice what they would make in private enterprise, not including all the other advantages.

Exactly.

It's another example of a union bargaining without considering reality. They are the highest paid in the retail sector, there are lots of part-time staff because that's the retail landscape here in Canada....and you don't get guaranteed hours as a part-time employee.

[redhatmamma]

A good reason to either privatize, or open more private retail outlets.

[raydan]

Funny thing about government, they fight monopolies, then turn around and create monopolies.

Here's another booze and union story...

Union Fights to Hold on to Government Liquor Monopoly in Pennsylvania
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfiel ... nsylvania/

[Lemmy]

What's better for taxpayers and the economy? Good paying full-time jobs or part-time jobs? Which jobs provide more tax revenue? Which ones provide more spending at other businesses?

Also, given the revenue that the LCBO generates and, given that wages should equal an employee's Marginal Revenue Product of Labour, it's hard to compare LC employees to other retail employees. That's not to say I don't favour privatization because I do, but it's not as cut and dried an issue as our resident union bashers would have us believe.

[raydan]

You're way more of a union cheer-leader than I'm a union basher, Lemmy.



Question... usually it's "an" before a word that starts with a vowel. Is there an exception for "union" because "an union" sounds so weird?

[Lemmy]

raydan raydan:

You're way more of a union cheer-leader than I'm a union basher, Lemmy.

That's funny because, in my professional world, I'm considered fairly anti-union. Only here, where there's constant ignorance about unions, am I considered a union cheer-leader.

[OnTheIce]

Lemmy Lemmy:

What's better for taxpayers and the economy? Good paying full-time jobs or part-time jobs? Which jobs provide more tax revenue? Which ones provide more spending at other businesses?

Also, given the revenue that the LCBO generates and, given that wages should equal an employee's Marginal Revenue Product of Labour, it's hard to compare LC employees to other retail employees. That's not to say I don't favour privatization because I do, but it's not as cut and dried an issue as our resident union bashers would have us believe.

Naturally, full time jobs are better for the economy but that's not what the market calls for. The LCBO has to act like a business despite its ties to the Government.

Stock boys and cashiers are almost always a part-time profession in the retail sector. This isn't about "union ignorance" this is about discussing what actually happens in the marketplace. Let's not also forget that the 'company' that owns the LCBO is broke.

The LCBO is a business that needs to staff it's stores to properly serve the customers while keeping costs inline. That's how retail stores work. They treat their staff very well with respect to their rate of pay but making demands for more full-time workers, guaranteed hours and more money isn't realistic.

[Zipperfish]

raydan raydan:

You're way more of a union cheer-leader than I'm a union basher, Lemmy.



Question... usually it's "an" before a word that starts with a vowel. Is there an exception for "union" because "an union" sounds so weird?

Words that start with a long "u" (that is, with a "y" sound, yoo-nion) are an exception. Some words that start with "h" are an exception too: "It is an honour to meet you."

[Lemmy]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Naturally, full time jobs are better for the economy but that's not what the market calls for. The LCBO has to act like a business despite its ties to the Government.

If that's the case, then MRPL should determine wages. Given the revenues that LC generates and the relatively few number of employees that generate that revenue, each individual employees' MRPL is likely a lot higher than the union wage rate. If you want the LC to operate like a business, why shouldn't the employees be paid on MRPL like they are in the private sector?

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Stock boys and cashiers are almost always a part-time profession in the retail sector. This isn't about "union ignorance" this is about discussing what actually happens in the marketplace. Let's not also forget that the 'company' that owns the LCBO is broke.

Contradiction. You just said they should operate like a business, despite ties to government. And the government isn't broke. That's conservative horseshit. Even if it were, that's got nothing to do with the LC, which is extremely profitable.

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

The LCBO is a business that needs to staff it's stores to properly serve the customers while keeping costs inline. That's how retail stores work. They treat their staff very well with respect to their rate of pay but making demands for more full-time workers, guaranteed hours and more money isn't realistic.

Given the revenues that the employer is raking in, it absolutely is reasonable and realistic. You're always talking about how businesses should pay out to their employees when they're doing well but should expect to get concessions from labour when they're not. The LC is a perfect example of a company doing very well. The employees ought to share in that success. MRPL, Ricky, way she fucking goes.