Corporate Injustice in London

Well, Caterpillar did it, as was likely its plan all along, and is shutting down the EMD plant in London.

The fact that they did this less than 24 hours after the state of Indiana passed its "Right to Work" legislation and crippled union action in the very state where that business is setting up a new plant in Munice is proof enough.  Furthermore, the 50+% wage cut they were demanding to the London workers with their idea of negotiating being "Take it or leave it," followed by the lockout on Jan 1 is further proof that they had no interest in keeping the factory open. As Martin Regg Cohn of the Toronto Star noted, Caterpillar just got the factory to strip it of its tech and intellectual property for themselves and throw away the husk.

What really galls me is those people who automatically blame the CAW union for this blow to the city despite the self evident observations. Some people just will hate the idea of workers fighting for their rights and a fair share in the fortunes no matter what the real facts are. Yes, labor demands have to be reasonable, but that doesn't mean much when the management has no interest in being the same.  After all, if Caterpillar's profits are up 83% this year and GM's own locomotive business just negotiated a far more equitable labor deal in the US, then it's obvious that CAT was spoiling to screw their workers and London.

Now, I fear for the fate of this city and its future.  I realize the idea of my city suffering Flint, Michigan's impoverished fate is a bit much, but it is not a welcome thought regardless.

David Olive at the Toronto Star suggests we can fight back  by getting the Federal Government to nationalize the plant or imposing tariffs on CAT products.  Of course, there is no chance of any of this beyond excuses from Harper and his cronies, but we can least write to them and try to put them on the defensive to whatever degree we can. 

For myself, I hope people will remember that during this lockout, of all the local MPs, it was Irene Mathyssen of the New Democratic Party alone who spoke up and stood with the workers against this injustice while the Tory ones gave excuses and remember that in the next election.  Sure, simply voting is not enough to affect change in this world, but participating in the regular political process in our society has to be part of it.

As for myself, I just hope this city can weather this storm and for this whole affair to wake people up for how ordinary people, the 99% are being so mistreated.

Well, Canada Post is back in operation again thanks to the government blunt instrument known as Back to Work legislation.

Let me get this straight, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers pulls a labor action and tries to do it this time with a delicate touch with rotating strikes in an effort to make their point without inconveniencing the citizenry too much and it's Canada Post is portrayed as the victim here even after they killed all service in a lockout, leaving the union to be punished for all this?

Granted, postal service usage is on the serious decline for at least a decade and CUPW is definitely not in a strong bargaining position considering the industry's long term prospects.  After all, the internet is a game changer so obvious that even mentioning it now feels redundant from the first syllable I put down on this matter. Furthermore, the argument that the strike is going to likely accelerate postal service's usage decline has merit as online methods become ever more dominate.  That said, if we want to make that transition as smooth as possible, we are going to have to do a major online connection initiative on the scale of South Korea's efforts, with twenty times the total land mass.  To say that would be expensive would the most obvious of understatements, unless WI-FI connection can gain the equivalent range of terrestrial radio broadcasts.  Until then, there are still rural areas, small businesses and people who want items shipped with a reasonable price with some appropriate patience which need a public postal service.

However, such hard realities do not excuse the Canadian government from blatantly interfering with specific bargaining terms and arbitration methods in the back to work order.  Doing this is the mark of an outrageous arrogance of Stephen Harper more fitting of a dictator.  Given that such tightfisted control of his cabinet is exactly his style of governing, it seems obvious that he now is giving his best shot to apply it to every element of the Canadian government.  Furthermore, big businesses will be emboldened  to really shaft workers with a reasonable shot of getting the same partiality from Harper with an appeal for the "greater good" of the economy while the corporate heads give themselves the mega-salaries they hardly deserve outside of their own minds.

As much as the New Democratic Party of Canada tried to do its best with its filibuster to delay this measure, it became a futile gesture when Canada Post and CUPW walked away from bargaining to try to head off the imposed settlement.  Still, it was at least a symbolic move that had to be made and it's more backbone on the left than I have seen in some time to fight for the working class. That's enough for me to say I am proud to be among their number for the rough times ahead.