Taking Pity On CUPE

Who said that the Windsor Star does not have a heart!

After virtually being a propaganda organ for City Hall during the CUPE strike and helping to spread misinformation which continues even now, the Star had a rare moment of compassion for the Unions they are helping to crush. Look at what they did:

• Letter to the Editor by CUPE Local 82 President, Jim Wood "Numbers just don't add up"


• Coverage of the Daycare rally "Keep daycares open, city urged"

Quiet you cynics who think the Star did it so no Ontario Press Council complaint can be filed against them!

Look it how nice the Star was to CUPE also on the story "CUPE's bad faith bargaining complaint rejected by labour board." They did not open up that story to Forum comments! Can you imagine what anti-CUPE comments would have been made.

Of course, most people would not understand what the OLRB decision meant but who cares. CUPE would have been crucified. The hardliners empowered for the next election.

But why not be gracious. CUPE is dead. CUPE leadership helped destroy their own Union. Edgar (aka Eddie) helped along the way no doubt but it was CUPE itself that hurt its own members. What can one say:

• poorest disorganized strike ever with a lack of strategy so apparent
• failure to get the public to understand the issues
• National and Ontario CUPE leadership MIA
• outclassed local leadership
• divided Labour movement
• snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
• not explaining that the City hardliners have cost taxpayers millions forever and that the Union was prepared to settle for less early on.
• allowing disinformation to be spread
• OLRB complaint made to pretend to satisfy members but which was doomed to fail by the way it was drafted
• ignoring a damages claim as the OLRB pointed out 3 times in its 2-page decision thereby costing its members a potential $30M in back pay
• ignoring a way to get daycare handled differently thereby causing 100+ workers to be put in jeopardy
• ignoring a way to get garbage handled differently thereby causing around 30 workers to be put in jeopardy

Oh Jim, your letter was about as useful as the OLRB bad faith complaint. It might help you get re-elected as you point to it as something you tried but it accomplishes nothing.

What do CUPE workers need now---a strategy, new leaders, a new Union? Not someone who starts a process not to win but only for this

• "We were looking for something, (even just) a slap on the hand"

What it does NOT need is this, the ultimate indignity to CUPE workers:

• "Both sides said Friday it’s time to move on."

For the City that means taking away jobs with impunity with a toothless Union as an opponent.

For CUPE it means waiting for answers to Jean Fox's "unanswered questions" and huffing and puffing and achieving nothing.

For the workers....well we know that answer, don't we.