Now It's Time To Say Goodbye. . ,

# 199. The Last Post.

Ratification of the Library Workers contract by CUPE 391 Friday, October 19 and the VPL Board Saturday, October 20 marks the end of the second longest civic strike in Vancouver history.

I am no fan of the CITY or CUPE.

What should have been a 3 week strike degenerated into a 13 week grudge match.

The City with its:

• initial & repeated "firm, final offers" (a tactic illegal under US Labour Law);
  
• a 39 month contract offer (who negotiates during or just after an Olympics?);
  
• reduced benefits;
  
• the Mayor's misguided musings;
  
• unwillingness to consider other Metro Vancouver library contracts;
  

generated an unheard of 90 - 96% Strike Mandate.

CUPE's hands are dirty too.

• No Layoffs Due to Contracting Out;
  
• Seniority before Merit for all Auxiliary Workers;
  
• Treating the Olympics as just another work day;
  
• Designating all Olympic sites as CUPE facilities;

These were non-negotiable and demonstrate a 1980's British coal miner mindset (remember the Arbutus Club.)

CUPE was right to push for dispute resolution systems that protect employees from self anointed messianic managers found in any organization. Certain disputes have been allowed to fester for 10 years. Now it's 7 months and binding arbitration is involved if necessary.

A mediator was required to break the deadlock.

Thankfully, 8 weeks into the strike, the City misplayed the labour code's Section 56 request for a Special Mediator. A civic strike is not special. Face saving motivated the City to enter "enhanced mediation." CUPE had been requesting such for the length of the strike.

The strike is over except for Mayor Sam Sullivan. He wants to bill the November 2008 civic election as CUPE vs SAM, The Final Knockout. It's sad really. After 3 years the Mayor has no policy achievements only a continual flow of wish list press releases.

CUPE did itself no favours at its second rally outside City Hall. Declaring that CUPE will work to defeat the Mayor, CUPE gift wrapped an election platform Mayor Sullivan is happily exploiting. 12 months, however, is an eternity in politics.

All the while Cambie Street businesses received no property tax relief and now 35% are closed. Businesses at Library Square received no rent relief. The City is the landlord.

As for this blog..,

I didn't realize anyone was reading until Saturday August 18 when I posted the videos from the Arbutus Club. Suddenly, I had 10 comments.

Total Comments: 575.

August 22 I learned about Google Analytics and Sitemeter. Now I could measure how many people were reading and how many pages were read.

August 22 - October 20, 2007

• 5,471 Absolutely Unique Visitors
• 10,453 Visits
  
• 28,749 Page Views
• 2.4 Avg. Pages / View
  
• 4:14 Avg. Time on Site
  

Shaw and Telus were the most common domains.

Number 3 - The City of Vancouver.

• 1051 Visits
• 4:39 Avg. Time on Site
• 2.91 Avg. Page / View
• October 5th & 9th - Most Vists
  

Thanks to Walter Schultz, The Gazetteer, David Eaves, Beyond Robson, Urban Vancouver and Howe Street for the positive reviews and referrals to this blog.

Reading comments, for me, was the most enjoyable part of the blog. It definitely was not a one sided debate. Provocative, emotional and for the most part reasoned and well written.

Only 5 comments were rejected due to their flaming content.

Thank you for the comments, the support and most importantly for reading.

If there is a strike in 2012 I won't be with the City. 11 weeks provided the opportunity to develop a realistic business plan. It's been set in motion and one goal, unexpectedly, has already been reached.

It will be a great adventure.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu,
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!