The 2009 Toronto Garbage Strike: Should Public Sector Unions Have the Right to Strike - Essay Example

The 2009 Toronto Garbage Strike: Should Public Sector Unions Have the Right to Strike? The purpose of public unions is to represent, negotiate and consider worker’s grievances as well as needs. Unions represent workers all around the world including civil servants like teachers, nurses, security agents and government officials. The main aim of the unions is also to fight on behalf of workers for pensions and working conditions. Public unions have collective bargaining rights and can trigger massive wave of unionization to workers for any action when bargaining fails. The demand of employees vary depending on work place, type and working conditions; however, the right of workers should be a priority as without employees success of any organization is at stake. The city of Toronto, for instance, is in history for hosting a strike of more than one month, by the civil employees union. This was a legal strike of 24000 employees, which got controlled by Toronto civic employees union, a branch of Canadian union of employees. This was a historic strike, which left people thinking and wondering whether all options got exhausted before the strike got upheld (Rose 546). Many people remain affected during strikes, which raise further questions on the legibility of strikes. For instance, people receiving the services face many difficulties getting the services, which they cannot get in the case of strikes. Justification of strikes, therefore, remains a cause of disagreement in every government and institutional setup. In as much as people miss the service of the striking employees, there is justification of strikes as they offer more rewards than absolute talks. This raises many questions whether unions should have the right to strike. On the midnight of 22 June 2009, a strike of Toronto municipal workers was in force. The strike included CUPE 416 outside workers and 79 local employees representing inside employees. The strike got on course after six months negotiation with the municipality over the renewal of contracts, which was ending. The demands focused on gaining job security as well as banking of sick days, which were not in the previous contracts. According to the unions, every union was able to negotiate and get what they wanted; however, for their case concessions remained a leading factor in the collective agreement. Services affected during the strike included garbage collection, where all households together with single detached dwellings, commercial premises as well as low rise residential areas. In addition, recreational centers and parks including city run pools, grass cutting as well as Toronto island ferry services became victims of the strike when the employees went on strike (Rose 545). Consequently, municipality services got halted including the licensing department where building permits, burlesque licenses and taxicab licenses could not be issued. Other areas affected during the strike where water supply and treatment, animal services and city-run daycare services. Not forgotten was the public health sector, where municipal health inspectors for public pools, clinics, dental offices, restaurants and city beaches not carrying out their work appropriately. In an art shell, the strike led to a standstill of services as no operation was in itinerary. Poor services were characteristics of the whole city, and the whole city felt the significance of municipal workers. The strike received mixed reactions as some people argued municipal workers needed something to take back home. Others argued the strike was not a civilized way to solve their issue and, therefore, all of them needed sacking ( Krahn, Hughes and Lowe 345). The world is full of people plagued with pride who values themselves more than others. It is from this perspective that strikes become necessary in solving problems which dialogue cannot solve. Some of the reason s for justification of strikes include, strikes bring equality in work environments. For instance, other city employees in Toronto got a pay rise of more than 2% while municipality employees had no increase in their salaries. The pay rise covered even city counselors while the hard working and sweating municipality employees remained earning the equivalent salary. When the unions raised similar claims to the employers of increase in the salaries to a similar range, the employers rejected the request (Rose 187). In addition, inflation rates had also risen forcing an increase in price of all basic goods a factor, which needed a pay rise. Municipality employees working outside and inside, therefore, remained earning lucrative benefits. The strike, therefore, offered an avenue to create equality of all employees in terms of payment (Johnson 35). For over 50 years, banking of sick days remains a fringe benefit among workers. It was a form of benefit, whereby employees were able to keep their sick days and cash them during the hard economic times. It is, therefore, a wrong thing to push the cash days to retirement or take it away from workers. These are some of the issues, which led to the strike. This is because the workers could not take chances of sacrificing their benefits while officials from business executives earned wholesome bonuses (Rose 549). As much as the municipal, city officials argue banking of sick days as a ridiculous benefit in the current era, it was a benefit to the municipality workers and unless it needed transformation, other forms of benefit, taking it away could solve the situation. This called for the strike as it was the only language municipality officials, could understand. Apart from pushing for equality in working environments, union strikes act as a form pressure for decisions not yet reached. Toronto union strike was to pressurize the municipality officials for a decision they were not accepting. In the process of ignoring services such as garbage collection and inspection, people complained to the municipality, where many complaints got received at the offices. Despite the complaints from the public, the municipality also made many losses in terms of collection from services offered. These acted as a driving factor for the officials to arrive at a conclusion, which favored both employees and officials. It is from this perspective that strikes play an extremely significant role is pushing for bargains. In as much as some strikes result into sacking of employees, strikes remain the best activity to push for their demands. This was justified as much as turning against the public remained inexcusable. Public unions also have the right to strike based on the regime of employers who do not care for the working environment of workers. According to reports from the municipality, the working conditions of employees are not impressive. They work longer hours and are the list paid in the category of municipality employees (Rose 546). This is despite the fact that they ensure the cleanliness of the town and facilitate the collection of essential services. They should get rewarded, abundantly for the marvellous work they are doing for motivation. In addition, unions represent employees and fight for their rights and bargain for benefits on their behalf. Upon failure to provide, the demand from various meetings strike forms the most appropriate answer and solution ( Krahn, Hughes and Lowe 344). From this perspective, strikes are rightful means of communication. As in the case of Toronto strike, intangible and obscure statistics exist to give the exact result of the strike; however, residents faced a considerable challenge of collecting garbage. In radios and television channels, the strike remained common issues whereby complaints prevailed everywhere (Cassess 132). The CUPE organized strike took 39 days to arrive at a solution, which was beneficial for both parties. It is from this view that unions take pride in strikes and call them a means of forced agreement; whereby strikes act am means of aiming high in the process of bargaining to land at what is preferable and beneficial for the union. This makes the action through strikes justifiable as it pushes for benefits than presented in the process of bargaining. On the other hand, union’s strikes pose many problems to the society. Toronto strike, for instance, interfered with whole activities in the city. The sanitation sector remained the most affected where temporary dumpsites got formulated to solve the issue of accumulated wastes. Wastes further scattered across the city, which made the Toronto strike, get a name, a garbage strike. The strike, therefore, interfered with sanitation services of the whole city leading to an outrageous disaster (Rose 189). From this perspective, the union organized strike was not justifiable, as not all avenues for solving the disputes arising from the disagreements remained unexhausted. A clean and healthy environment is a right for everyone, violation of this right is, therefore, a tabloid of productive responses. Toronto is a tourist destination centre for many tourists, which requires a lot of cleanliness and services. During the strike, trash heaps created hazardous run offs which could leave the parks damaged for years. In addition, the heaps got sprayed with heavy duty pesticides which posed environmental and health risks. The parks were, therefore, places where dumping played a greater role and not even children could play in such fields, as it was risky. In addition, the strike left council meetings at a mess forcing a reschedule of meetings and advisory panels, which could propel council activities. In an art shell, the whole government got shut down. Consequently, wedding chambers in the city also got shut down with most people cancelling former bookings. Through this, the municipality lost a lot of money and resources, which needed other uses. From this perspective, union strikes are not health for any organization or government, therefore, not right. In the health care sector, most lives got affected with emergencies being diverted to other areas. Pregnant and nursing mothers, for instance, had no option facing the wrath of delivering and surviving without specialists. This is because all health facilities remained closed, as all the specialists took part in the strike organized by the union ( Krahn, Hughes and Lowe 344). It is the right of every consumer to have quality food in Toronto; however, during the strike, no inspectors existed to prove how safe consumables were in restaurants. This forced restaurant owners to rely on personal judgment in order to deliver to the public the food they needed. Consequently, sexual health clinics were also not operational during the union organized strike a factor that according to research lead to a spike in STD’s. This raises a question whether the unions considered the many problems the strike was to cause before venturing into the main strike (Rose 550). It is in this view that union strikes are not considered right as it leads to more problems than the demand. Also, brought to an end by the Toronto strike was treatment of water to improve its quality. Considering the many people Toronto city host as tourists and others who take pleasure in swimming, the stop in treatment of water was a disaster (Cassess 126). This is because swimmers were left to swim at their own risk a factor, which was not only a health risk to people but also a form of discouragement to tourist on visiting the serene and obscene city. Not forgetting is the fact that the stop in treatment of water also led to cancellation of various sandy beaches, a factor that made the municipality lost a lot of money. The union strike; therefore caused a stop in all the functions of government functions creating a horrifying picture of the strikes. From this perspective, union strikes are extremely detrimental to development operations, therefore, must be discouraged through all means. The availability of permits facilitates the operation of a well-organized setup since all operations including markets and building of structures needs permits. During the Toronto strike, all business permit issuance got stumbled. This included permits for opening businesses, permits for hosting functions like crusades and public rallies, permits for recreational areas and permits for sport fields. Most recreational activities got pushed for an unspecified period including sports and beach attendance (Rose 188). This was an exceptionally, distressing for the economy Toronto during the hard economic time when the collection from the permits was notable for use in other activities. In addition, lack of permits meant no access to many facilities offered by the municipality; therefore, individuals and the public could not access the normal services they received before. In this view, union strikes are extremely detrimental to any economy, as it does not only deny the public access to basic services but also the convenience ( Krahn, Hughes and Lowe 344). Social services play an imperative role in society. It is a service, which should remain functional and operational for all periods. Despite keeping, the society safe, a social service solves emotional and psychological issues that if not solved affects the society largely (Cassess 105). A halt in its operation, therefore, is dangerous and needs no meddling. During the union organized strike in Toronto, many employment and social service offices were closed and the limited operational ones offered limited services an opposite to the demands of social service ethics. The role of social services in Toronto is tremendously significant considering the many number of people who needs social services. The union strike, therefore, caused more harm than benefit to the public leaving them helpless and affected. It is, therefore, not right from this perspective for unions to go to strike ( Krahn, Hughes and Lowe 344). As much as there is more sympathy for the unions for their demands during the strike, most sympathy goes to the people of Toronto for the hardship they underwent during the strike. Parents, for instance, were forced to seek alternatives of daycare child centers after they found them closed. This was a last minute decision which either caused some to miss going to work of took drastic measures, which were not favorable for their children. In addition, city camps and other children programmes also went to a standstill whereby all swimming lessons and other subsidiary classes got halted. Through the experience of Toronto people and especially children, the union strike was not justified as other means remained available, to solve the dispute, which was arising among the employees and employers (Rose 551). Toronto people faced problems they did not deserve, the problems caused by other people who were exorbitant and relaxed to arrive at a decision. The people of Toronto faced many injustices due to the strike. This included piles of garbage and lack of basic services essential to the people of Toronto. In addition, they were denied the right to enjoy and relax through sports and entertainment arenas, whereby all permits got revoked, and no chance was given for municipal, public activities. It is, therefore, an activity, which took various rights of Toronto city citizens (Rose 187). From this perspective, denial of union’s right to strike is precise; consequently, the rights they take away from others, is also taken away from them. Collective bargaining in the federal government remains a tool for most workers to air their grievances during times of controversial issues. However, there are various attempts by different institutions to reduces the power of unions and have control bovver their activities. Although a reduction in the powers of trade unions is necessary, the right of employees should also be a priority of many organizations as they are a vital to in the process of production (Johnson 99). The right to strike by unions; therefore, is relative as proposed by critics of conservative orientation. The work performed by public servants is an extraordinary kin to public confidence, which makes strikes divergent to the public service ethics. It based on the argument that many conservatist argue that union’s right to strike must not exist as much as it is a democratic orientation of unions. Others pose the right to strike by unions as a fundamental labour law, which address matters of equity and ethical practices at working places. This is so even though strikes often jeopardize delivery of core services important to the whole society. This is evidenced by the many benefits unions have acquired through strikes making it a tool towards forceful recompense of labour. In conclusion, binding arbitration in many countries and cities, has led to many accepted deals, where all parties in a bargaining table come out satisfied. In as much as employees are entitled to quality services like others, extreme measures, which put other at risk, should not be applied in order to realize the services. This is the case scenario in Toronto, where instead of municipality officials suffering it was the people of Toronto, who faced the wrath of the strike in hospitals, beaches and entertainment arenas. In my view, the union’s right to strike is denial of essential services to the public. It, therefore, needs change such as illegalization, allowing other means of solving as well as bargaining union grievances. Works cited Rose Joseph. “The Complaining Game: How Effective is Compulsory Interest Arbitration?” Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector. 23.3 (1994): 187-202. Rose Joseph. “Regulating and Resolving Public Sector Disputes in Canada” Journal of Industrial Relations. 50.4 (2008): 545-559. Cassess, A. International Law, Washington, DC: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. Krahn, Harvey, Hughes, Karen and Lowe, Graham. Work, Industry, and Canadian Society. New York, NY: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print Johnson, David. Thinking Government: Public Sector Management in Canada. Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 2006. Print Read More