Naramata CUPE workers on strike

[cv23]

Can some one please explain what the real issue is because from the news reports it appears the workers are way out of line.
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#115193
From the news report it appears that the workers agreed to contracting out a portion of their members positions in their previous negotiated contract and even though the Municipality agrees to no further contracting out beyond what was previously agreed to that isn't good enough for the workers? The workers sole reason for striking appears to be that they now have changed their minds about the contracting out they previously agreed to in their negotiated contract.
What good or how binding are labor contracts if one side can choose to ignore them whenever it is in their own benefit?

[XT225]

Can some one please explain what the real issue is because from the news reports it appears the workers are way out of line.
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#115193
From the news report it appears that the workers agreed to contracting out a portion of their members positions in their previous negotiated contract and even though the Municipality agrees to no further contracting out beyond what was previously agreed to that isn't good enough for the workers? The workers sole reason for striking appears to be that they now have changed their minds about the contracting out they previously agreed to in their negotiated contract.
What good or how binding are labor contracts if one side can choose to ignore them whenever it is in their own benefit?

Do you even know WHO the employer is, in this story? It appears not. Has nothing to do with any "Municipality"; its a private company.

[Symbonite]

well to me it sounds like the Naramata Center is having a problem with the finances. With a place like that you need to make sure you have the staff but if you cant pay your staff beacuase the market cant bear any more expenses from the users then of course you will have to lay off. but because its a Union forcing the center to have no options to try to cut back on expenses like contracting out. Even after the Center said they will extend the current contract for another 2 years...

Nope Union rather Stike than work (which is funny because there is a picture with a union sandwich board saying i'd rather be working!" ) give me a break.

Another sign that says "Contracting out wont fix $$$ woes" Of course it wont but at least they are trying to keep the center going by doing so. If not...how much money is union going to make when the center closes cause they cant keep bleeding money to the union.

[cv23]

Do you even know WHO the employer is, in this story? It appears not. Has nothing to do with any "Municipality"; its a private company.

Private or public does it really matter?
Why, according to the media reports, are the organized workers trying to renege on a contract with their employer that they reportedly signed in good faith?

[southy]

Cv3. .. Please get your facts straight before you start sounding off. There is no contract. Contracting out was apparently never part of the expired contract. These employees .. Some with 10 .. 15 .. Even 20 plus years of service have been treated as the problem since new management came in. Naramata centre or the centre at. Naramata is a conference and retreat centre owned by ... Are you ready for this cv? The United Church of Canada! This situation from what I've read gives true meaning to the word hypocrisy. Apparently management hasn't been to God like. Pay themselves silly salaries ... Receive millions in bail out money from United church then cry that it's the employees and union that are problem. One story I read said they hired colliers international to conduct a review... Guess what they said the unionized employees were not the problem .. And that perhaps the problem lies with senior management. Their own consultants telling them this. Being on the outside looking in .. And reading the drivel in the press releases from Naramata centre I would say this is a clear case of the United Church .. The BC conference of the United Church .. Naramata centre and it's board of directors all crying wolf while trying to bust the union. I think these people have had long term plans for the future of this place and really want the union out. And all in the name of God ... Utterly shameful. But I suppose that's why I have never bought into organized religion! Instead of bashing these hard working employees you should be congratulating them for having the balls to call managements hand.

[gman313]

I say let it fold. Someone else can come in and start their own centre

[cv23]

Cv3. .. Please get your facts straight before you start sounding off. There is no contract. Contracting out was apparently never part of the expired contract.
.

If you actually read my posts and referenced link you would see that my question came from reading the quoted media report which clearly states...

This contracting out plan commenced last December under the terms of the previous collective agreement with a plan to implement this spring. The union is taking job action intended to prevent the centre from pursuing the contracting out options

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#115193
I have gotten my facts as straight as the media reports on the subject have stated hence the reason for my confusion. If indeed as reported in the press the union agreed to some contracting out in their prior contract with the employer then they are 100% in the wrong in their current strike action. They threw some of their own brethren under the bus in order to get something for themselves and now regret that decision.
You have made some serious and so far totally unsubstantiated claims in your post including that Colliers International, who are a real estate company not business advisers supposedly provided business advice and did so in a report. Could you please provide us all with a link to that report or to the "story you read" because hearsay just doesn't cut it.
Instead of "spouting off"and "bashing" the United Church with your so far totally unsubstantiated claims maybe you could provide us with some real facts or reports because at this point with the reports we do have to go by clearly makes it appear that the organized workers are simply trying to renege on a contract they signed, supposed in good "faith" with their employer.

[southy]

OK CV ... it's a long weekend and I'm not going to waste my time or yours. Those wonderful media stories you speak of were from press releases obviously written by management of Naramata Centre. The contract you speak of has expired! There is no contract! No contract! Got it? There was never anything in the old contract about contracting out! Of course the union and the employees are going to refuse to sign any contract that allows for Naramata Centre to contract out. Would you give up your job so your boss can contract out your job?? I doubt it. You've got to be on goofy pills to think the union is throwing their brethen under the bus. Far from the realities my friend ... from what i've read and heard it's actually the other way around. Naramata Centre has thrown it's employees under the bus!

As far as Colliers International is concerned you are wrong again. Colliers international actually does do business analysis and consulting. Check their website. You look it up. Oh ... here have a peak at this. http://cupecaresatnaramatacentre.com/about/ I'm not affiliated with CUPE or any union for that matter but I found this whole situation very interesting and for once in my life kinda side with the employees of the Naramata Centre and CUPE. They have been kicked, lied to, shamed, embarrassed, underpaid and under valued for years. Yet because you read a story from press releases from Naramata Centre you say the employees are wrong. No sir .. you are wrong. I suggest you do what I did ... go out to Naramata and talk to those employees who are on the picket lines. Here their story ... see their tears .. see their frustation .. experience what those individuals called management who hide behind the banner of religion are capable of doing to human beings and employees who believed in what they were doing for the Centre. Shameful ... utterly shameful!

Bash the United Church ... hell they're doing a good enough job of that themselves. Shameful. Facts ... search Goggle .. search the Penticton Herald and Penticton Western News ... search CUPE 608 ... search MyNaramata (though a somewhat biased media in my mind) Search BC Conference of the United Church. Search Colliers International. You sir .. have no idea what is really going on out there in Naramata. I'll be damned if I'm going to do your work for you. Have nice long weekend.

[cv23]

Obviously the Center is evil incarnate so why is it anyone would want to work in such a place let alone march a picket line to keep a job where they have been " kicked, lied to, shamed, embarrassed, underpaid and under valued for years"? Seems like a person would want to flee as fast as they could and never look back from such a horrible place rather than protest to be allowed to continue on enduring such a hell on earth.
What kind of a labor union is CUPE that it would allow its supposedly valued members to be " kicked, lied to, shamed, embarrassed, underpaid and under valued for years"?

[fluffy]

The recently expired collective agreement can be viewed here:

http://www.lrb.bc.ca/cas/WUS19.pdf

There are provisions for contracting out of work formerly done by union members, they are under the "Job Security" heading. They do grant such power to the employer given a procedure of proper notice and justification is followed.

I also note that the wage schedule outlined can't be called "excessive" by any stretch of the imagination, although I don't doubt that cheaper labour could be secured given the current economic climate.

Reading releases by both parties in this dispute doesn't really supply a lot of definitive information other than the fact that I get the impression that both sides understand the value of "media spin" in garnering public support.

It's apparent that the Naramata Centre is in financial trouble, more money going out than coming in along with deteriorating hard assets due to deferred building maintenance. The questions that come my mind right away are:

1.) Has management considered their own salaries as a possible route to reduce expenses, and...
2.) Does the union feel any responsibility to assume a role in helping to reduce said expenses?

[cv23]

There was never anything in the old contract about contracting out! Of course the union and the employees are going to refuse to sign any contract that allows for Naramata Centre to contract out. Would you give up your job so your boss can contract out your job?? I doubt it. You've got to be on goofy pills to think the union is throwing their brethen under the bus.

The recently expired collective agreement can be viewed here:

http://www.lrb.bc.ca/cas/WUS19.pdf

There are provisions for contracting out of work formerly done by union members, they are under the "Job Security" heading.

How can this be?

[southy]

*removed*

[southy]

WOW ... absolutely amazing. First off that this strike is still going (what it has to be at least 3-4 months now) and secondly that a manager of the Centre a place that professes Christian values goes sideways and starts threating picketers. Seems CUPE is just a tad upset about this incident and I guess you can't really blame them. Guess this blows my fantasy that all Christians are peaceful loving people. I wonder how this will all play out? Very interesting to say the least.

[wanderingman]

Can some one please explain what the real issue is because from the news reports it appears the workers are way out of line.
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... htm#115193
From the news report it appears that the workers agreed to contracting out a portion of their members positions in their previous negotiated contract and even though the Municipality agrees to no further contracting out beyond what was previously agreed to that isn't good enough for the workers? The workers sole reason for striking appears to be that they now have changed their minds about the contracting out they previously agreed to in their negotiated contract.
What good or how binding are labor contracts if one side can choose to ignore them whenever it is in their own benefit?

*removed*

[wanderingman]

I too was trying to understand what CUPE was doing running a god business and heres what I found
EDIT !!I said running I meant working for

is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the

non-profit

and para-public sector as well.