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A few hours ago, the City of Toronto took a page from the TTC's union-fighting book and released full details of their current offer to striking City employees. Calling it "fair and affordable and...what the City believes is required to resolve all oustanding issues," the City's press release explains the move to release the documents as an attempt "to ensure that Torontonians and the City's workers are well informed on key bargaining issues"—but what it really is is a smart as hell public relations move to push Toronto's citizens further away from the union's side and closer to the city's as negotiations continue.
City of Toronto Releases Union Offer Details
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I don't know why they even need to pull PR stunts. Polls indicate 75% of the population already hates the union. That's about the percentage of people employed in the private sector, so I doubt they're going to convince the remainder.
Someone told Miller that if he can get 100% of the population to hate the union, it will unlock an achievement!
I don't see how we can really be against more transparency.
If the union thinks that its position is fair and equitable, let it post its side as well.
What's going on here is that the union doesn't want people thinking on their own. "Solidarity", and so forth.
Well, it shows the union membership what is offered, and lets them all know (not just the leadership) the corner they have painted themselves into.
So, releasing details of the offered agreement are a "public relations" move? Damn that City Hall. I haven't been this mad since the "bear tax." Let's form an angry mob, only more dumber and stupider than the last time.
I was guessing from the way it was worded that it was breaking some absurd, old-timey leftist taboo.
Tee hee hee. Oh, wait. I meant, "D'oh!"
It's not a PR move, or a release that is geared to citizens at large. Instead, it's meant to go over the heads of the union leaders in a direct appeal to the membership. The city is gambling that support for the strike among CUPE members is weakening. By releasing the offer, they are trying to sow the seeds of discontent among those members, destabilize the union leadership, and set up a situation in which the members drive the leaders to settle.
That too.
Bingo!
Of course!
It's a smart move for all the reasons stated above, but I really doubt anyone was siding with the union.
I'm looking ahead now, to when I can get angry that they'll be paid overtime to clean up the piles of garbage created by their strike against the people of Toronto.
I would be happy to have a slower cleanup if it would avoid paying these guys overtime.