Strike!
If you're a Canadian then you know that the public service is set to go out on strike October 7th (well, 80,000 people anyway, on top of the ones who are already on strike and in advance of another bunch set to go on strike after Canadian Thanksgiving). I mentioned before that, though I am part of the affected group of people, I am "designated essential" and am therefore prohibited from striking. Whatever, with 3 kids and two mortgages was there really any chance that I was going to strike anyway? Hello - I can't live on what I make now how am I supposed to live without even that?
Well today we all got hauled off yet again to the board room for a "strike information session" where a smug yet slightly uncomfortable HR representative gave a presentation about responsibilities during a strike and a creepy evil union guy shot down most of what he said. Bizarre hardly covers it. What really, truly pisses me off is how every one of us is fucked no matter what we do. The people who aren't essential have 2 options - come to work as usual, get paid their regular salaries and face massive fines and sanctions from the union or report to a picket line, sign in, picket for at least 4 hours, sign out and collect $50 but no wages from their regular job. Not many of my coworkers can live on $50/weekday. Being essential I thought I'd be shielded from most of the bullshit but nope, there's plenty to go 'round. I have to show up at work every day or face a $1000 per day fine from my employer PLUS the union expects me to hand over 25% of my fucking paycheque to cover their "emergency assistance fund" - so that the poor souls on the picket line can claim economic hardship and get extra cash from the union. What the fuck?? I didn't vote for this strike, I would be perfectly happy with the offer the treasury board made but I'm getting reamed no matter what. All this on top of the fact that ALL leave for September was denied due to the looming strike, and now ALL leave in October is prohibited because of the inevitable strike. I am so stressed out and so desperate for a day off but I can't take one. Plus Katie has a follow up with the opthalmologist next Thursday which I have to take her to, and I have to make up whatever time I miss with the appointment that evening. Chalk me up for another 12+ hour day.
Fuck, I don't know which I hate more: the union or the management.
Well today we all got hauled off yet again to the board room for a "strike information session" where a smug yet slightly uncomfortable HR representative gave a presentation about responsibilities during a strike and a creepy evil union guy shot down most of what he said. Bizarre hardly covers it. What really, truly pisses me off is how every one of us is fucked no matter what we do. The people who aren't essential have 2 options - come to work as usual, get paid their regular salaries and face massive fines and sanctions from the union or report to a picket line, sign in, picket for at least 4 hours, sign out and collect $50 but no wages from their regular job. Not many of my coworkers can live on $50/weekday. Being essential I thought I'd be shielded from most of the bullshit but nope, there's plenty to go 'round. I have to show up at work every day or face a $1000 per day fine from my employer PLUS the union expects me to hand over 25% of my fucking paycheque to cover their "emergency assistance fund" - so that the poor souls on the picket line can claim economic hardship and get extra cash from the union. What the fuck?? I didn't vote for this strike, I would be perfectly happy with the offer the treasury board made but I'm getting reamed no matter what. All this on top of the fact that ALL leave for September was denied due to the looming strike, and now ALL leave in October is prohibited because of the inevitable strike. I am so stressed out and so desperate for a day off but I can't take one. Plus Katie has a follow up with the opthalmologist next Thursday which I have to take her to, and I have to make up whatever time I miss with the appointment that evening. Chalk me up for another 12+ hour day.
Fuck, I don't know which I hate more: the union or the management.
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