Canada Post services suspended nationwide
 

Well it looks like it finally happend due to the strike. Canada Post doesn't want to lose more money and make Canadians pay for it (CP is a government agency but is usually self-sufficient and profitable)

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

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I have a body in the mail.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

It's actually in their mandate to be self sufficient.

its bullshit if you ask me

First union starts rolling strikes and then CP comes back with layoffs and revoked benefits for all CP employees

Not no mail services at all

just bullshit

Is the person alive?

Guess what? That's what Unions can expect these days for striking. Not satisfied with your unskilled labor $60/yr job? There are hundreds of thousands of people out there ready to fill your boots for a fraction of the pay.

I've had it with Unions and the bullshit demands they put on the employer, at least when it comes to government or crown corporations. If they push to the point where it's affecting the company's bottom line, they'll be shown the door, as they should, and the company can hire people who will be happy for the work.

Well fantastic. Just when I have my SPR front end coming in the mail. Shower o'cunts. The whole fucking lot.

That just means I'll be busy as hell. I work at Fedex probably get alot more of CP's parcel mail now.

when did you order it? before or after talks of possible strikes, rotating strikes and full strikes?

I know a lot of people were rolling the dice and sending/ordering stuff. but in all honesty, you knew better.

we had one customer who refused to have us ship it any way but Canada Post, even though we could have sent it many other ways for less money and or faster. they were warned of possible delays in shipping with CP but flat out said no.

Most of our outgoing has been strictly via canpar and most of our customers and vendors have been more than satisfied for multiple reasons. faster shipping and cheaper bottom line. the only issue is that if there isn't someone available to sign for it, the hubs/depots are far and few between.

@coachster: I ordered it in April, but the seller "forgot" about me and finally shipped it yesterday...

Union entitlement
 

I find it amusing that CUPW has no idea that they are negotiating for the survival of any Union jobs at CP.

They are so far out of touch that negotiation is pointless.

CP is talking about cutting the workforce, in half if they can .. and the union is asking for more money.. it's laughable.

CUPW is a stinking corpse left un-buried far too long.

They have no idea the DHL is sniffing around to buy the whole thing..

That's just it. I mean seriously, who uses the mail today? Apart from paper bills (which many companies are phasing out in favor of e-billing), I get nothing but list-based ad-mail from people like Enersource or other utilities which are bound contractually to use CPC in order to keep their government grants.

My dad got rich off direct mail / direct marketting. Then he lost all that wealth when the internet made it obsolete. CPC is losing piles of money in wages, benefits and pensions, keeping jobs because the Union has threatened to strike if they cut them. Well guess what, out you go, in comes a fancy new machine.

Mail is to Postal workers as Cod is to fishermen.. it ain't coming back boys

hi... so where do I apply for a job that starts at $19 an hour that requires no prior experience? I'll take that in a second.

Apply at Canada Post. I figure they'll be hiring shortly.

hmmm is it in me to be a scab? I think so.

BB Bastard is done with Canada Post. You're going to be seeing a whole new online store and an entirely new shipping strategy very shortly.

I think we'll be seeing a few stores changing their shipping, Airsoftparts has done it

Agreed, depending on the length of the strike, I see a few scabs in the future.

No cortex for me this week :(

Damn it...

I hate my backup shades. I want my sunglasses damnit!

Though I do need a new job too...

I've been waiting for a package from aquamarine forrrrr evvvvvveeeerrrr. GAHHHHH THIS SUCKS

Canada Post has it's place. They aren't the cheapest or the most efficient but I'll still continue to use them for certain things.

One thing I have to say for Canada Post over the competitor is that they have pickup locations everywhere! In the larger cities, there should be an outlet within walking distance of your home. All our residential shipments are CP unless otherwise requested by the customer. There are no options on our web site for other couriers even though we deal with Canpar, UPS/DHL (domestic and international) and a local same day courier.

Everything we ship requires a signature. With Canada Post it's about $1 (or $1.50 can't remember) that we apply to every package. The problem with the other companies is that if there is no one to sign for the package, it gets returned to the depot which for the most part are far and few between. There have been instances where customers weren't home for the delivery and had to travel further to get to the Canpar pickup location than they would have to if they had just picked it up from us directly.

Not all couriers will make 2nd attempts at a delivery, and if they say they do, then they fake it! Canada Post use to and I hated it as it delayed me getting my goods by another day. Currently with their system, I can track it and go pick it up at the outlet on my way home without even getting the missed delivery pickup card first.

lol, imagine how much more people are angered waiting for their other packages on forums and all. I just shipped out a package with Fedex. Fedex now it is.

If i could i used it but i'm not living in a big urban center...
I feel the urge to booby trap my stairs when the lock-out and strike is over :D

The government might do a special law to pressure theses stupid fuck.

This sucks, I had a couple items come in by Purolator and missed them. Their pickup is all the way in Etobicoke...FRACK!

Personally I can't remember having a problem with CP in recent memory.

However, DHL is utter nonsense.

Ordered some items from WPG. According to the online log at DHL.ca they have been to my home address 3 times (Mon, Tues, Wed). According to WPG they have been twice (Tues, Wed). According to DHL customer service they only deliver 2 times. According to the single delivery notice left on my front lawn the "final" attempt was yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon after finding the delivery slip I used their website to redirect the package to my work. I also left a signed agreement to leave to the package on my doorstep in case the redirection didn't occur. According to their customer service the redirection was never done. Courier probably just slowed by my house two out of three times and saw no cars in our driveway and merrliy went on to another address.

Guess I'll be picking it up at their office in Waterloo. Hopefully the package is there.

NP's Lorne Gunter can gag on my balls.

I'm holding my breath, it will all be over next week.

Right now I hate CanadaPost. I have 3 packages waiting for delivery....

But i will continue to use it . Like Coachster says, I can pick up my package by only 5 minutes or walk. And by 5 mins with my car, there is like 2 others pick up point I can use...

With Fedex. it's ~30 minutes car ride, 30 with Purolator too and I can't imagine how far is UPS, maybe 45mins car ride or more. So if I miss every delevery attemp because i'm working between 8Am and 5pm, like almost everyone.... I don't want to spend 10$ in gas for a 15 $ worth of shipping or 50$ package value....

Fallen, there's an UPS store about 2km from my place, so about 10mn from yours ;)

Please, I'm praying for a return-to-work law.

There is a UPS store about 15min, but it's 10 more minutes than CanadaPost.... :D Also, it's UPS.... :mad:

I've got something coming in from last month on USPS.....i'm guessing it is getting handled by Canada Post when it reaches Canadian soil......

Is there any way to get USPS to get UPS or DHL to pick it up?

Didn't know Canada was in such dire straits :P

Can't wait till they pass a bill that allows the public to vote on whether to disban an Union once they go on strike.

Can see it now.

Teachers on strike.

Public Vote:
1) Give them more money, and more time off so they can spent less time teaching the young

2) Fire the lot of them, then hire those who would like to work.

I'd be voting #2

Given that it's public money, I agree with that proposal.

Har Har. I missed the "K".

Facts are fact, Canada Post is a very nepotistic organization that closes it's doors to outside employment just like most every other Union. In this economic climate where people are begging for any employment the fact that they have the audacity to lockout speaks volumes. So screw Canada post and all of their employee's, Should lay every one of them off and open the jobs to the people Begging for work that pays that damn well.

It fills me with rage thinking about it.

I have been waiting for my new Systema PTW SuperMax for over six months now. It was shipped one day before the lockout from Calgary and is now stuck somewhere in the system. I'm PISSED! Not pissed enough however to convert over to a Courier service whom I consider to be far worse than CP.

needmymail.ca

Oh hi there, I just GMed your mail service!

I usually take an anti-union stance on most current events, but I still try to keep an open mind. At least the wages aren't as obscene as other, car related north american companies. The changes proposed to create a two-tiered compensation plan was not legal. I was cautiously taking interest in the union argument.

Then my mail came in as balls of crumpled paper. Each envelope lovingly compressed by the hand of the asshole who is loosing an uphill battle driven by drunken monkeys calling themselves the CUPW.

I foresee lots of interesting student jobs opening up by the bucket.

Call the Postal investigators and lodge a complaint. taking their stupid fucking problems out on you as a customer is asinine and childish the person needs to shit canned.

Shitstorm outbound, most of the envelopes were bills but one contained analog photos.

Im expecting some photos as well thru a store in the mall...I wonder if they sent it CP...very mad if so.

This strike is a huge kick in the nuts as we use CP exclusively. :mad:

We are going to look at alternatives as well but I am not confident I will source something as economical. Then there is the cost of getting it integrated with our website. Bastards...

I believe in order to have anything done you need to lodge a complaint with the ombudsman for CP. One of their carriers forged my signature and when I complained I was told tere is nothing they (CP) can do about it.

RCMP can handle that, no? IIRC it's a federal crime to tamper with mail.

Not to mention forgery...

Shouldn't be that hard to figure out who was working that route on the day in question.

This is such balls.
How can they strike and hold customers' property ransom? If Uhaul went on strike and people couldn't access their stuff in storage, wouldn't there be lawsuits?

I mean, Striking and saying "as of now, we are not taking any more parcels. Hoever all parcels in our posesion will be delivered" would be legit.

But assuring customers that a parcel will reach its destination the next day, and locking shit up that very next day is a scam.

I have to agree.

I would agree. People only have a certain amout of time to get refunds, file claims, etc. How does this effect these claims? As no one saw the lockout coming and were willing the take the risk of a package getting hung up for a day or two in the rotating strike (or at least the businesses shipping). As there are consumables in the mail, peoples medicine, money, and stuff. These comsumables will now be wrecked (and might wreck packages around it) and whoever is out x number of dollars, will they get compinsated? How is that fair to us? If they delivered everything that was in the mail as it was and said no more new mail this wouldnt be a big deal and wouldve been dealt with maturely. We could have at least made alternate plans to get our shit. Now its in a plant and who knows how much mail will be lost or whatever as a result.

I really do feel like my package is being held hostage. I think its leveraege from CP to get the public to put pressure on the union and/or government. I just want my stuff that I should already have. Why havent they been forced back to work yet? When its all said and done and the dust settles I am sure people will go back to CP as they have the best prices (even though not the greatest as is) and its much easier to pick up a package (for London, FedEx Ground pick up is in Cambridge which is an hour away, I can see my local CP from my house).

I can understand that businesses that were not able to adapt to this loss of service are hurting. Even a 2-3wk thing for small-med businesses (which to my understanding make up something like 90% of the businesses in Canada) is jeopardizing for the entire year.

On a personal level...dunno, if I wasn't expecting a pair of suspenders in the mail I wouldn't have even noticed that there was a strike. I cringe at the thought of how much junk mail is going to pour into my mailbox come later this week. I might just put a recycle bin under the box to catch the overflow and save me some time.

Back to businesses...the only thing I wonder is how many SMB's will prepare a contigency for such a loss of critical service again down the road? The precedent is set...unless the union goes away, it'll happen again.

I never had an issue with CP, ever. I've received/ but mostly sent at least 200+ parcels with them. Never had an issue on my end. I use them because they are convenient and relatively economical (1 minute walk from my house). Went to FED EX a few weeks ago to send out my PTW, $90 to Calgary in 4 Business days. Kinda steep, but I didn't care, I didn't pay for the shipping.

But its true, other than my Visa/Rogers bill(which I check and pay for online anyways) I don't really get anything important in the mail, up until recently the Cert's from RCMP.

Although my Mesa Tactical Shotgun Saddle is stuck in lingo :(

My neighborhood mail box:

http://image.shutterstock.com/displa...box-124127.jpg


There's always a garbage can there purposely for the junk mail and its usually pretty full.

Do what I do. Junk mail goes in that handy slot in the top of the box.... eventually they get the message.

If you look at the information page they specifically state that they cease to guarantee service standards during a labour shortage or strike etc..

I guess someone could lauch a class action suit for the difference between express and standard mail as they accepted it knowing they would lock out CP employees.

I have about $15,000 in client cheques I have been desperately waiting for... And C-fucking-P has my money. Am I bitter? Hell yes.

Whisper...just out of interest since I know you're a thinking man and I value your opinion.

What have you done during this strike as an alternate means to get other cheques/monies during the strike?

Are you going to do anything/something different to mitigate this type of business interruption from happening again?

(just brain picking for my own interests sake)

I say lock both sides into a small, 'interview' sized room until they reach a fair and amicable deal, and the mail starts flowing again.

And if they have to pee... well... I'm sure that'll serve as an effective motivator for them to get their shit together.

AMEN.

I feel you man, I don't disagree that the people who this screws the most are the customers.

I hope nobody has LiPos in the mail, it would really suck if some LiPos went poof inside a processing facility.

The irony of it all. In a supposed attempt at negociating a convention that would provide better service, they completely cut the service.

Stupid fucks.

Most of them are uneducated overpaid incompetent lazy ass...
Now that the new law was deposed; i feel no sympathies for them at all.

I'm just kinda scared on how my packages will be when i get them... crushed, lost?

Well today was a fun day. Apparently, the verdict is that I'm probably the one who smashed, if it did happen at all. I was told I was trying to slander the workers because of the strike. I might have mentioned my opinion about monkeys having mounted a successful coup and taken over upper union management at some point before that though.

Am I glad I took note of the time and asked the rep her employee number. I was told somewhere in the 45 minute wait that to somehow make this call more fulfilling it was to be recorded for posterity.

The really stupid part is that I'm not asking for money or to have the mail man beat up, the photos will just have to be scanned, touched up and printed out again and I just want to make sure my future mail gets to me preferably unmolested.

Kinda glad they decided to plead insanity, I needed a new plaything.

So this whole time I've been against the union action.
My view point was that CP was losing revenue, and the union would not let new employees start at a lower wage (on top of mystery pension issues).

Turns out CP flipped the 'lockout' switch. Not the union as I previously thought.

I say fuck em both. Privatize the whole thing and then I can get a package from Toronto to KW in less than a week. Rates? what is it, like 8$ more for UPS or fedex?

No, more than double. It's normally less than $20 to send a rifle to Ontario from Saskatchewan. A while ago a couple customers requested UPS because of this impending strike, and it was $50 to send a rifle and $33 to send a pistol. And that's the cheapest option, UPS Ground, which I think takes 4-5 days.

the cheaper of 2 evils.

Balls, and here I thought the others were in the same price range. Looks like my next ebay shopping spree is going to hurt.

I really don't have any unique advice to give. I have all the systems in place that any other small business owner would. I accept credit cards, I utilize couriers... But an old fashioned cheque in the mail has been the norm. Of course, I tried contacting the clients who sent through these large cheques to see if they would cancel them and reissue them and I would have my courier come and grab it... But they said it would probably take equally as long. Will I change my internal process because of this? Most likely. What will it be? I don't know yet, but whatever it is, it needs to be as close to expense neutral as possible. Global payments tacks on too high a fee. My business account won't allow EMTs. Couriers can be pricey too. I guess I'm one of those instances where a postal service is a necessary evil.

On a side note, my god damn apple G5 just died. 8 years of solid service, and it decides to die now. Will the insanity ever end!

On our side we're scratching our heads with the same thing. There's invoices to go out...and cheques to take in. There's bills to be paid, etc...

The local businesses that we deal with (downtown, GTA, regional offices in VCV and CAL) don't present too many problems. If the incoming amounts are worth it, we'll courier over the invoice...and pickup via courier if needed. (couriers down here are doing stiff business)

The thing singled out is how manual/paper based our accounting practices are. Good for oversight and process auditing (and keeping people employed)....lousy at adopting to change quickly.

Perhaps, sadly IMHO, this strike did/will not go long enough to drive innovation and change. I suspect it'll be business as usual for most businesses in 3 weeks when the backlog clears.

I find the difference between electronic personal finances and "good old fashioned" inhouse business finances striking (haha).

Wow, really no EMT's? I would talk to them about that. It's probably the most economical and speedy way to send money, local or worldwide.

Tank, that there is probably why they don't allow it.

Interac gets the proceeds of the EMTs, a small percentage of that going back to the banks.

Depending on the volume and ammount the cheques are worth, the bank makes more money with paper transactions.

Charges for buying cheques, charges for cashing cheques, charges for NSF cheques, and charges for certifying cheques... the list goes on.

You know what CP never did for me? Ring the doorbell when I was in the shower. Actually, I lied, they always do that.

What the don't do is look at the phone number and call it. I almost missed a package today (pair of Magpul FPGs, fun little bastards) but the Fedex guy actually called before leaving. I managed to grab the call after very awkwardly trying to run out of the shower, 'cause usually ringing my doorbell and calling me means I should take this.

After almost 20 years of putting my phone number on my package info, they actually tried the bold move of trying to see how they could get my shit to me. This is the same driver that actually came back when I missed a package and called the support line to figure out my options. I'm really starting to like Fedex.

I have 2 orders that i made back when it was still a rolling strike that i told the supplier to hold on to till this is resolved, and i still totally support what the union is trying to do.

Wages aren't even the big issue, what the union wanted to do is address the under staffing issue that's making their current employees work harder for longer hours that they rightly say is a safety hazard.

They realize how important the mail service is so the union decided on a rolling strike as a course of action. Then within a few days, CP decides to up the ante and LOCKOUT all of it's employees to force public opinion on it's side.
The sad part is that it seems to be working. Everyone is talking slag about the union and it's workers, but it was CP management that decided to totally shut down the mail. NOT THE WORKERS!
This back to work legislation that they have tabled is also another piss off... It wouldn't surprise me if the lockout was initiated on the assumption that that crown would force workers to go back after they arbitrate whatever they wanted down the union's throats. Just like what happened back in 97.

Then again i suppose that's what happens when you put an anti-union party like the conservatives in power(though, i guess the libs did it too). I'm really hoping Layton stalls this bill for as long as he can. Makes me proud that i voted NDP in my riding.

Famous last words???

http://www.midnorthmonitor.com/Artic...aspx?e=3180416
"He said CUPW has three main demands: first, they want Canada Post to drop any plans to create a "short-term disability plan" to replace sick leave and remove the employees' right to grieve. He said that system would be administered by a third party that could simply disagree with a doctor's recommendation and deny leave or benefits, giving Canada Post through that private company "total control."

Second, the employer needs to drop plans to establish a two-tier benefits system, in other words, giving new hires less money, fewer benefits and reduced job security.

Third, they need to change their tack on "modernization methods" that are resulting in unsafe conditions for letter carriers. He said mail carriers were once expected to carry one bundle of mail in one hand with a bag on their hip. They are now expected to carry three stacks on their forearm with the same sack still on their hip. This makes it difficult to see, and is an ergonomic nightmare, according to the union boss"

how would you feel if your company was trying to force this down your throat and you COULD do something about it because you're lucky enough to be unionized?

LOL Same shit hgappened to me when I was in the shower too.
Thank god I didn't slip down 40 fleights of stairs.
I'm starting to like fedex too.

Working for a part of the Government where I regularily "deal" with union grievances, I can honestly say 95% of grievances are complete bullshit and a waist of money. Ontario has a labour standards act that deals with most of this stuff.

Employees grieving that they got a bad job review because their manager is discriminating against them when they are in fact lazy fucks is just stupid, and it costs WAY more money than its worth.

Solution: Stop hiring more people. CP's revenue is dropping. It needs to cut costs. That's the bottom line.

Really? They have to carry 1/4 of the shit the average high school student carries around with them? And give me a break. All new mailboxes are the super boxes with 50 actual mail boxes that don't require the carriers to walk more than 10 paces.

Considering my company just kicked me out of the union, which resulted in a pay freeze for me, I think I'm in a good position to comment on this. And I STILL hate unions.

I work for the Ontario Government. Up until recently I was unionized. OPSEU pisses me off. A LOT (though I was AMAPCEO). I can see how CP could be pissed at CUPW.

Right on!

How's the alternate reality in your universe working out?

Like most Gov't of Canada institutions, Canada Post and its employees fall under the "Canada Labour Code" and not the Ontario one so highly likely not the same rules at play here.


'Fly

My wife rolls her eyes about three times a week as I bitch about how well government workers have it (in general). I have been a small business owner for a long time, and I guarantee you will not find a harder worker, under more stress, with less perks than us poor bastards who run our own show. I don't think I can listen to another union sympathizer without going... Postal.

Ahhhhh!

About time someone made that crack.

It was painfully obvious, but no one had snatched it up yet!

I work for the Government of Ontario. I'm 24 and I've been working for them since I came out of college. I have zero issue with calling myself, and the other 7 guys in my office, hard working, dedicated public service employees.

Some people seem to be under the impression that it's completely impossible to be a hard working dedicated person working for the Government. I take offense to that. Partly because it isn't true, and partly because there are aspects of my job that I can guarantee nobody on this board would want to do.

Having said that, because of some of the shit we have to deal with I'm very well paid. I would never make the argument that I need more money. For my profession (IT forensics) we're about on par with the private sector and slightly above police services.

I can tell you first hand there are lazy dogfuckers who work for the Government... but find me a 60,000 strong organization that DOESN'T have these people in it, somewhere. The majority of OPS employees are competent people who do their job, especially when you get up to directors, CAO's, Assistant Deputy Ministers, and others who are actually responsible for the day-to-day operation withing their ministries.

The people that piss me off are the union ass-kissers, or union reps themselves. Unions exist only to create reasons for their continued existence.

The other thing you have to realize is how the Government pay scale is slanted (this doesn't apply to fed agencies, but w/e). It's heavily weighted in the bottom end to encourage people to go into the public service. Once you move up into MCP (management and above) the pay is actually less than comparable jobs in the private sector. Sometimes on the order of $100,000/yr less for comparable jobs. No, that isn't a joke or an exaggeration. The reason these people stay working for the Government is because 1) they like their jobs, 2) they're dedicated, and 3) there are certain other perks, like job security at that level. The public who whine, bitch, and complain only ever see the lower end. They don't see the upper end because they never deal with these people.

In conclusion, first, don't paint all Government workers with the same brush. We're not all lazy slobs who dogfuck all day on the taxpayer's dime. Second, Unions suck and I hate them. They get in the way of me doing my job more often than they ever help me.

Now, the Government agencies on the other hand....

EDIT: Post edited at request of ASC member.

[Post deleted by author, conflict/issue with ASC member sorted out amicably in PM as adults should do, no further action required]

'Fly

Some very good points in this thread "). Some total shite as well. I'm really amazed at the lack of knowledge about unions from some of the more vehement posters however. I could take them or leave them for the most part but they are the reason we have labour standards in this country. Anyone one with enough brain power to read this can go to their local library and read a few history books. You might learn something and not end up leaving a string of cogent arguments punctuated by shear stupidity.

I think you just made one of the points. We now have labour standards and the internal mechanisms to manage and enforce them... Ergo, making unions generally unnecessary. I do believe they are now just feeding their base to keep them alive. They too, are slowly becoming a thing of the past. It's true, not ALL gov employees are lazy and uneducated (because you would have to include the military in that broad brush statement), but with many gov positions comes a slew of benefits, pay curves and various other perks, that for many in non gov positions simply doesn't exist. This is where a lot of animosity probably comes from. I truly hope, for the sake of my businesses immediate needs, that they resolve this strike post haste.

Funny thing is, you meet plenty lazy and stupid folks in the military, just like any government job.

I just want my mail.

You meet plenty of lazy and stupid folks in the private sector, too.

I didn't bother to open my CP entrepreneur package until today since I knew I wasn't about to ship anything. Apparently the guys at CP are even bigger dicks than I thought and just frenched my name...

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7...0800152004.jpg

Hahaha

Dont we all man, dont we all!

I just want my accessories that are 20min from my house...

I want my security license back so I can work...

im surprised no one has piped up saying they want their crazy japanese porn bought for them by aquamarine....

I got that Fedex'd

Sure, but this hugely depends on their level of job security. In IT for example contractors (if they know what they are doing) are generally much more efficient then full time employees, because they HAVE to be.
If they are full time employees or government employees who have 0.1% of getting fired they WILL be lazy.
I know some IT projects in government took years, in private sector - months. All because people don't have/want to try harder..

Love the high level of ignorance and stupidity in this thread. Way to generalize horribly and think you know everything. Not every one but a good chunk of the folks here.

Personally I am against MOST unions. I however am part of one and help modify its policies. My wife is also dealing with unions as she is a CP employee and union rep, now to the people who say they are all lazy as hell.

Screw you.

Never mind the tactful response. Just screw you. Ive watched her come home blisters and gashes all over her hands and arms after a days work. I know alot of them aren't that dedicated to the job. Will also admit I get pissed at alot of them to with my packages. How ever the fact so many people say ALL union employees and CP employees are lazy and useless pisses me off.

Both her (CP)and I(Airline Security) work unionized jobs and I can guarantee you that we work our hands to the bone. Maybe its just our personal work ethic. Who knows. But no matter the reason what alot of you are saying is just plain untrue, rude and ignorant.

+1 Send these guys back to work. I'm sick of the whining and having the public and small businesses pay for this BS. Enough talking time to settle this without the disruption in service. Both sides have had plenty of time to negotiate. I've got a bunch of items just sitting in a warehouse not moving anywhere this is ridiculous.

Outcast, while I agree that there can be good hardworking union employees, there are also a lot of incompetent/lazy people that are protected by the union, who would otherwise be long gone.

I was part of a union before I joined the CF, and can talk from experience. "Job security" is another way of saying "I can't get fired" because the union prevents the employer from firing anyone for anything but the most serious circumstances.