On Strike

TheBig2na

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
College Support Staff went on strike today...unfortunately I am one of them. Had to pay the mouse off a couple weeks ago so i am going in October still, but not too excited right now. For everyone who says how bad the unions are we haven't been on strike in 32 years as we never ask for much, never hold managements feet to the fire at bargaining. This time they want to bring in a two tier wage structure which is terrible for new employees, and they want the ability to lay us off if the faculty go out. The problem with that is if we have a two tier wage structure, they will bring us back at the lower wage. Faculty hold a much tougher line than us, 3 strikes in 10 years and likely another next year.

Not really the place to discuss this I am sure, but just wondering how anyone else would feel in my shoes. The shine is off the Trip right now knowing that if we are still out in October I will be calling the real estate company to sell my house just before heading to Disney.

Again Don't want to get into a pro or anti unions debate as I think some unions can be ridiculous in their demands, and sometimes management is ridiculous with the concessions they ask for. PLus we are all tax payers, myself included. I wouldnt want a 10% increase in salary only to watch my taxes go up to pay for it.
 
Oh my goodness, you will have to sell your house if the strike goes into October? Eeks. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that and there is a quick resolution to your situation. Do you not have travel insurance? Could you not cancel the trip instead and make a claim through your travel insurance if they cover a situation at work? I know RBC travel insurance has a few risks that cover a situation that rises with your place of employment. I really hope the stike doesn't drag on and that everything will be A-OK with your family. Best of luck to you.
 
While I'm no fan of unions (largely for the reason you mentioned), I'm no fan of unfair management either and it sounds like what they're trying to do to you is VERY unfair. I'm sorry to hear that your situation is so bad that you may be forced to sell you home, but it's good that you're at least considering that as an option. During the Dot-Com crash I watched a number of people try to hold on to their homes, losing everything when my advice to them was sell the house (their biggest expense) and either move in with relatives or rent. There were a few that understood what I was saying, swallowed their pride, and moved in with their folks and within a year they were back on their feet.

Best of luck to you and I hope management backs off from their demands very soon!
 
As a college student, I know you're going to be gettin a lot of grief from my co-students when your'e on the lines. Just wanted to send some Disney love and say I support you guys and feel for the situations the union AND employer has put you in.

I'm sure it'll be done by October, and maybe the trip will be a blessing in disguise.... striking is exhausting, I come from a family of teachers so we're no stranger to this muck.
 


I am a college grad as well. i have had to put up with a few strikes as a student and worker. They suck, no one wins. Management walked away before midnight and havent shown back up yet. Probably because the media is making us look like pigs who want money money money. Just a little security thats all. Alot of people are saying we dont deserve security because they dont have it, doesnt everyone deserve it? No one is getting raises due to the economy. what management offered is fine as far as I know. Starting to wonder if our own union is using us a pawn. Management has apparently relented on their request for two tier and our union hasn't replied. So most of us are wondering why we are still out. I am sure its a lie, but it looks bad when you sit silently for 24 hours and let the media, public and students rip us to shreds. To all of the students and parents out there, please note we aren't out ot ruin students years, nor are we out their trying to get more holidays and money. we just want to have a decent job...and a house and a car. I think that is what we all want. I am never going to get rich working there, and dont expect to. Cancellation insurance wont cover that as far as I know. plus I haven't bought it yet. we haven't been on strike in 32 years so none of us were expecting it. we always settle which is why a lot of us feel like we might be getting played by both sides due to the large amount of unions whose contracts are up soon.

I just keep telling myself that the worst thing that could happen is i have to sell my house and move back home with my wife and kid...maybe kids, not sure yet... and rebuild. But if i find out I am being played by my union, I will be back at work Tuesday morning regardless of what they or my coworkers think.

Anyway sorry guys this isnt really Disney related. venting a little I guess, feeling very odd not going to work. I can only imagine how people who lose their jobs feel. my next paycheque will be for 3 days. that doesnt pay the bills. But Mickey is paid, Dining plan, flights...cant cancel now. I am sure that will lift me out of my doldrums.

Roxysmum I wish more people were like you. I asked someone yesterday how they would feel if their parents were in this position and they said they would tell them where to go as well. Classy.

Long Live the MOUSE!!!!!!! I promise no more replies like this. back to mickey goodness here only.
 
Your going to Disney and just paid it off but may have to put your house on the market if the strike goes through October! If money is so tight why did you plan a trip? Not to mention paying it off.....

I am not a union fan and not a fan when school staff goes on stricken...not grate for the students. So I won't get into that.....

When you go to Disney you will just be spending money you don't have....I say try to sell it or do what you have to to cancel and try to get some of the money back...

Sometimes striking is not worth the loss....what's more important to you...holding on to your home, going to Disney or keeping both and walking over the strike line to survive today in this economy.....

If it were me and my money was as tight as you say it is...I would walk over the picket line and continue to get paid...sometimes drastic circumstances have to out way the the less of the two.....your family and home come first....

Good luck....
 
OP, I may be wrong, but your post reads as though you may not have been on strike before. You have my sympathies, as far as I know, no one likes to go on strike.

There are two possible avenues that you should explore to obtain more information about your financial situation in the event of a strike.

Now is the time for you to quietly and discretely find out if your union has a "hardship fund". When I was at work, our union local had an emergency fund that could be used to assist workers who were experiencing financial crises as a result of being on strike. The fund loaned money (it had to be paid back after the strike was over and people were back to work) to strikers to ensure that people didn't lose their housing, etc.

It may be cold comfort, but if your union has a strike fund (and it likely does--ask) people picketing will be paid a small per diem for every day on the line out of the fund. The strike pay procedures we had required you to be on the picket line, and sign in daily, to be paid--if you are out of town, or unable to picket, you don't get strike pay.
 


I am sure it wont come to me losing my house. probably just emotion talking right now. As for paying for my trip...My union hasnt been on strike since 1979, we never strike, and no one wants to be out now. Had i suspected we would go out I would not have even planned a trip. I wont ever do that again during a strike year. My opinion of the union has definitely changed after seeing what they took us out on strike for. What we were told we were fighting against was taken off the table. now it appears we are fighting for wages??????? in an economy like this? Could this not have been solved at the table while we were working? we worked for 4 and a half months without a contract once. Disappointing to say the least. Unions have their place and have done a ton for people, but we didn't get to vote on this offer and I am strike because of it which is not cool. Everyone suffers here and for what, a couple grand over a 3 year period. After taxes I might get an extra $40 a month....Am I really fighting for half a tank of gas? I feel woodwinked.

But as I said before i like these boards to be a release. A happy place to think about Disney. I appreciate everyones opinions.
 
I am sure it wont come to me losing my house. probably just emotion talking right now. As for paying for my trip...My union hasnt been on strike since 1979, we never strike, and no one wants to be out now. Had i suspected we would go out I would not have even planned a trip. I wont ever do that again during a strike year. My opinion of the union has definitely changed after seeing what they took us out on strike for. What we were told we were fighting against was taken off the table. now it appears we are fighting for wages??????? in an economy like this? Could this not have been solved at the table while we were working? we worked for 4 and a half months without a contract once. Disappointing to say the least. Unions have their place and have done a ton for people, but we didn't get to vote on this offer and I am strike because of it which is not cool. Everyone suffers here and for what, a couple grand over a 3 year period. After taxes I might get an extra $40 a month....Am I really fighting for half a tank of gas? I feel woodwinked.

But as I said before i like these boards to be a release. A happy place to think about Disney. I appreciate everyones opinions.


Can you just opt out of striking....I know those that do strike hate people who walk over a picket line but times are so hard right now....has your union also talked yet about raising your dues once or if you get that increase? Are you able to work there without belonging to the Union?

unions use to have there place in time when they really did good for the worker...but now it is very political taking your dues and using it to elect who they want.....I would rather see the money stay in the workers pocket.

I use to always avoid walking over a picket line but now I don't....mostly because the strike is more about the Unions than the people....they use the people to make themselves more powerful....

If I do however feel that an employees is truly being treated unfairly I will not cross....but these days that never seems to b the case anymore...

I hope the strike ends soon and you get back on your feet.

I have friends that were involved in the supermarket strike years back that lasted months and months and they lost so much including some their homes...yet the Unions seemed not to care about the hardships they were causing to all it's out on strike members....some had to go back to work and cross over the line....and this was when we were not in the economic downturn we have today.

I am sorry for your troubles and hope this gets resolved soon so you can get back to work.
 
I am sorry about the position that you have been put in. I am fortunate to have a job in that I never have to worry about going on strike. I am someone who strongly supports having a union and am in a job that I wouldn't think of having without a union. Having said that, it's unfortunate when you have a union that just does what they think is good for themselves, not thinking about the employee.

Have you thought of going to the bank or institution that holds your mortgage? Talking to them. Sometimes there is something they can do. I pay a monthly fee so that IF something happened that I did lose my job, I am covered with my mortgage. Has something to do with the money I make at work as well. Check out all avenues before you even think of putting up your house.

Honestly, how much would you get back from your Disney trip if you cancelled? Can you downgrade some things? Might be something to look into before you went ahead and cancelled the whole thing. Might be something you need as a stress reliever.

Hope it all gets settled soon:hug:
 
Regardless of when the strike settles, are you permitted to be gone from the job during the time you booked for vacation?
 
TheBig2na
As a unionized worker who just went through a lock out, I feel for you. I don't think you will be out on the line for very long. Recently the federal gov't passed a piece of legislation which gives the gov't the right to force wokers back to work if they strike, as well as force management to allow workers to go back to work if it is a lock out.
There are pros and cons to being in a unionized work environment.
As for the comment about crossing a picket line, sometimes you can do this and there are no ramifications and sometimes there can be drastic consequences. It really depends on the union, the people who are on the line, the issues of the contract, the reasons for the stirke, or how people are feeling about being locked out.
To address another statement that unions keep people out on strike. There are 2 sides at the negotiating table...it's not always the union that can prolong a strike or lock out...the company can prolong it too.
I don't know of many unionized workers who enjoy being on the line because of a strike or lockout. It's emotionally and physically draining, as well as financially. And you don't have to be out on the line for very long to start feeling these drains.
Good luck and I hope you are back to work and there will be a good out come.:goodvibes
 
The other complicating thing in this scenario is that there is a Provincial Election campaign going on right now, so even if Back-to-Work legislation was to be passed, it can't be done until the legislature sits again, which will likely not be until November (and if that idiot McGuinty gets reelected, he's in the union's pocket so I doubt he'd pass anything... took him 4 months to act on the York U strike when classes had to be cancelled).
 
Hey OP - I feel for you. I worked for the public broadcaster for many years and know what it means to strike and be locked out. Management there are bullies! Eventually they weakened the union (it took a few years) and due to reasons beyind my control, I actually had to leave my job a couple months after mat leave due to the punishment I got for having a baby and the union was basically powerless when I went to them. So yes, there is a place for unions still, it just sucks when they are weak and you pay a lot of money in dues.

Unfortunatey, I have to echo the thoughts of finances. If you truly are as tight for money as you claim to be, why on earth would you spend a couple grand on a vacation? Don't you have an emergency fund? Savings? Sure, everyone deserves a holiday, but not something so lavish if you can't afford it. Does your union up your strike pay the longer you are out or do you just get something like $100/week for 20 hours of picketing? Can you pick up a part time job in the meantime? Do some freelance work?

I think this is a lesson for future financial planning once you get back to work, a portion of your money goes into savings and a portion goes into a vacation fund. Not to single you out - this is a point for all.
 
In defence of the op, maybe she booked the trip before she knew there was going to be a strike/lockout. Sometimes things look they are going along nicely and suddenly things take a turn for the worse.
 
He not a she. hahahaha Yeah I booked it well in advance. we havent been on strike in over 3 decades. Never thought it would happen. still no talks. Union and management playing games.
 
I am a support staff too. Although I knew months ago we would be walking, I am surprised you were surprised. I work at a small campus though and our union stewart is a "higher up". This strike has been planned for a long time and I am afraid we are the victims.

Personally I don't know what to believe. When they started talking strike it was all about two tiered jobs now it seems to be all about money. I personally am giving both sides one more week to get their acts together and act like grown ups get off their A$$es and get a deal together. If they are not talking I am going back to work my students are the ones the suffer.

We have all already lost a ton of money we won't see a dime more now even with a raise. It has been lost because of our lost wages.

I will think of you as I walk the line tomorrow.
 
agreed. if they dont get it done by the end of the week I have to go back or face not being able to pay my bills. I am not willing to go that far.
 
I hear ya. It will be nice to know that someone else is going to cross. I am preparing for the fall out of my decision among my co-workers although I would say that there are a number of people who are feeling that we have been hung out to dry.

Remeber when we voted? The parties were not even talking yet and we were voting for a strike? It didn't make sense at the time and less so now since we can't vote on the deal they offered.
 
The more you think about it, the more it looks like it was set up exactly for this. Apparently 50 plus people have already returned at my college. I always say at the end of the day they are coworkers, not my family. I have to look after them first.
 

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