[fredr123]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

I mean really? An average yearly increase of 1.35%? What a deal, seeing since the inflation rate in Canada for 2007 was 2.0% and expected to be 2.4% this year. Are you kidding me? Not to mention some of these bargaining units have been reclassified and in some cases independant pay studies have shown that they are underpaid compared to the private sector by as much as 30%.

Underpaid by 30% but the treasury board is proposing a increase of 5.7% over 4 years? No wonder we get such good workers in the government.

This post was from today.

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

It's not about if they can take the stress or not...they obviously can....the point is why do it???? Why put up with so much when they can go work at home depot for the same amount???? This is what they want to do but why??? Why stick with it when they get paid jack ??? Why put up with the late nights, the deaths, the people that attack them for no reason? The lower life expectancy??? That is the point....do you get it NOW?

This one was from a thread about EMS workers going on strike from July last year.

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Oh? You feel that police officers, corrections officers, parole officers, border services officers are only doing half the work they should be doing? Pretty pathetic statement as far as I am concerned.

Again, this post was from today's thread.

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

That is sick...

I have been working for the government for about 7 years now....and I have to say that my experience has been there is a higher rate than 10% of slackers....closer to 25-30%. And it is absolutly sick. The problem is that the old timers are on cruise control....waiting for retirement.....and then when we get new staff.....some tend to pick up the habits of these slack asses.

Now I have worked many different jobs.....and there are slackers in union and non-union organizations alike....but in my profession....we cannot afford to have ANY slackers let alone 25%.

This post was from a thread started by Jolinar in February last year titled "Unions - What's Your opinion".

Now I'm probably the last person to start pointing out people who change their positions on things over time. Hell, I rarely express an opinion anyway. And I'm not accusing Jolinar of flipping or flopping on these issues.

I only point these things out and juxtapose them for the sake of debate. On the one hand you talk about how EMTs could (and perhaps, maybe should) move to a different job where they can get the same or better pay while having to deal with fewer work-related risks. Perchance the same logic could apply to PSAC employees or at least members like CBSA officers who work in dangerous situations like at border crossings.

The second set of statements just goes to show that, while maybe a 2:1 ratio of workers employed to workers required may be a bit of hyperbole, it can be acknowledged that there are a lot of slackers in the federal service. Sure, there are people cruising at work all the time (says the guy posting on CP during work hours) but calling simmer2's comment pathetic may be a bit much.

Back to the point of the link, though, I'm not entirely sure how this shows the Treasury Board has been bargaining in bad faith. The bottom line issue for both sides seems to be wage increases. That's where negotiations have stalled.

Does anyone know the numbers for any other recent union negotiations? It might provide some context to know if the Treasury Board lowballs everyone or if they're just trying to stick it to PSAC.