WhatFinger


More than half of all of our tax dollars go directly into salaries and benefits, but for the unions, it is never enough

Time to ban Public Service Unions in Canada



London: Fair Pensions For All believes that Public Sector unions have become a threat to Economic Security. The political power that the Public Sector unions have makes it difficult to fix our fiscal problems and endangers our grandchildren’s future. This must change.
Provincial governments have the ability to ban Public Sector unions with the support of section 33.1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the question is: Do they have the will? We suggest that politicians must act soon, before the Public Sector unions destroy our provinces entirely. We only need to look at recent political history to see both the power and vindictiveness of Public Sector unions. In Ontario, Premiers Peterson, Rae and McGuinty, along with Mayor Miller of Toronto, all share two characteristics. One, they were put in power with support of the Public Sector unions. Two, they all realized the need for fiscal restraint, and the unions set out to destroy them. Most recently, Mayor Miller told the garbage men and women of Toronto that there simply wasn’t any more money. There was a revolt, and the unions turned Toronto into a cesspool of filth and garbage. His crime? He dared say that the cupboard was bare. The same fate met Premier Peterson and Rae when they asked for some fiscal flexibility, and now, Premier McGuinty is going to meet his maker as well.

Support Canada Free Press


This kind of political power is not seen in any other part of our society, and it is dangerous. We have record amounts of taxes collected and yet, we still run massive deficits. More than half of all of our tax dollars go directly into salaries and benefits, but for the unions, it is never enough. We have pension plans with massive unfunded liabilities that threaten to cripple our economy, but the politicians are powerless to do anything. And sadly, with voter turnout below 50 percent, the political power of the Public Sector unions only gets stronger. In a recent trend in British Columbia several cities elected councils and mayors supported by large political donations from the city's own employees. In Burnaby a winning slate of elected city councillors had over $132,00 in donations from unions including large amounts from the union representing city employees. At Fair Pensions For All, we have spoken to countless politicians who recognize the need for change. They understand the fiscal problems that exist and want to fix them, but they can’t. The unions are too powerful and will destroy the one thing that is paramount in every politicians mind: Re-election. Until we remove these unions, this refrain will not change. The Public Sector unions in Ontario now have a new dance partner in the NDP. We just saw in Kitchener-Waterloo an example of their power. A party, who was all but irrelevant in the political spectrum in KW, won the election by an overwhelming majority. Flexing their collective muscle, the Public Sector unions secured another vote for increased spending and higher taxes. That is, until they suggest a bit of wage restraint, and then they too, will be sent packing. Even the great liberal Franklin D Roosevelt, who realized the need for Private Sector unions, cautioned against Public Sector unions. The employees of the government are some of our best and brightest. Both of these groups understand the need for change, but the unions refuse to let it happen. It is time we force the unions to listen. It is time we remove them from our Public Service.


View Comments

Bill Tufts -- Bio and Archives

Bill Tufts, Fair Pensions For All, founded in January 2009, our goal is to promote an honest and fair analysis of our pension system; to expose abuse and waste within the system; to develops and promote new ideas and concepts on pensions based on fairness for all.

We maintain that it is every Canadian’s right to receive sufficient income in retirement to afford an acceptable quality of life.


Sponsored