The teacher union of Vancouver has been striking for a week already. I had finished school a long time ago, I thought teachers strike shouldn’t affect me, but I was wrong. The school workers support the teachers and went on strike as well. As a result, all schools in Vancouver is closed down, including the one we go to play badminton every thursday. I think unions are evil in Canada, since they have way too much power. The union already deviated from the original idea of protecting the welfare of the workers and becomes more like a company. It exists only to maximize its own benefit, without taking any social responsbility. The teacher union is holding the student as hostage in their illegal strike to ask for more money from the government. Everyone want to ask for a raise, but they don’t have to go this far affecting almost one in Vancouer. One of the root cause of this problem is the union executives are paid handsomely, instead of volunteer member from the workers the union represent. Those fat pocket union executives need to do something big once a while to jusitfy their heavy pay checks, and stirke is the best demostration. I think the law should change that only non-paid volunteer members from the trade it represents are allowed to run the union.
Most civil servants are union members. Nevertheless, I insist on keeping a distance from the “evil” organization. They encourage laziness and like you said they try to maximize their own benefit. Note that unions try to maximize their benefits but not their members. Like the union that bargain for my job classification, they sold is out! Anyway, I don’t understand why pharmacists who can easier bargain for better compensation need a stupid union that also represents xray technicians and janitors, among others. Our job natures are so different.
Well… Union is like communist with a senority system.