Topic: CAW may stop funding children's sports leagues if coaches, parents cut grass dur

[toolatecrew]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Sports/stop+funding+children+sports+leagues+coaches+parents+grass+during+strike/1643335/story.html

Lost their battle with the Government, GM and Chrysler so now they are picking on kids.Nice

[dorin]

Oh please, this is a completely reasonable for the CAW to do.  It would be highly illogical to financially support activities that undermine your own position and members.  In the case the CAW is playing the only cards it has.

[dorin]

Also, this has nothing to do with GM, Chrysler or the federal or Ontario governments since the strike is by employees of the city of Windsor.

[tpl]

Are the city workers CAW members?   I could understand if the City workers ( CUPE I presume) picketed the fields and the police prevented the "parents" from taking their mowers over the picket lines.  I'd disagree but that's modern Canada.   I disagree with what is effectively secondary picketing by a union that is not involved in the dispute.

[sailor723]

Just the CAW showing us that no matter how dark things get they can still be assholes.

[ovr50]

Just the CAW showing us that no matter how dark things get they can still be assholes.

+1

[RunsinLight]

They are more or less crossing a picket line and they don't even work there. What kind of response are they suppose to get?

[toolatecrew]

“We don’t have a habit of funding scab organizations,” said Gary Parent, secretary-treasurer of CAW Local 444.

Parents who want to cut the grass on a feild (their kids are already playing on) so that kids will be safe make Soccer teasm a "scab" organization"

CAW is not on strike here CUPE is

[tenpenny]

Just because unemployment is rising, that's no reason not to go on strike.  And just because you might enjoy soccer, well, too bad, kid, you've got to follow the union lead.

Everybody has to share the pain, that's the way it is.

[DockMan]

Oh please, this is a completely reasonable for the CAW to do.  It would be highly illogical to financially support activities that undermine your own position and members.  In the case the CAW is playing the only cards it has.

Really? Seriously? Kids who want to continue their soccer league, Their parent and coaches, Undermining the CAW?

Put the pipe down, get clean! Free advice kid.

[dorin]

People doing the work of strikers = scab labour.  That doesn't change just because it's a kids' sports league and the parents would be doing the work for free.  It still undermines the strikers and unions' job is to discourage and prevent that as much as possible.

It constantly irks me how people let emotional arguments (i.e. kids are involved) cloud their logic. 

[UmroAyyar]

People doing the work of strikers = scab labour.  That doesn't change just because it's a kids' sports league and the parents would be doing the work for free.  It still undermines the strikers and unions' job is to discourage and prevent that as much as possible.

It constantly irks me how people let emotional arguments (i.e. kids are involved) cloud their logic. 

I don't agree with CAW's methods but I do understand the need for unions to show solidarity to each other's cause. I do agree with emotions chasing away logic (mostly when kids or baby seals are involved).

IIRC, showing solidarity with other unions was quite critical in the earlier struggles, empowering the labour masses to obtain the rights we all enjoy now.

[toolatecrew]

People doing the work of strikers = scab labour.  That doesn't change just because it's a kids' sports league and the parents would be doing the work for free.  It still undermines the strikers and unions' job is to discourage and prevent that as much as possible.

It constantly irks me how people let emotional arguments (i.e. kids are involved) cloud their logic. 

I don't agree with CAW's methods but I do understand the need for unions to show solidarity to each other's cause. I do agree with emotions chasing away logic (mostly when kids or baby seals are involved).

IIRC, showing solidarity with other unions was quite critical in the earlier struggles, empowering the labour masses to obtain the rights we all enjoy now.

So I wonder if all CUPE members own CAW produced vehicles? Solidarity right?

I could understand if CUPE said if you mow lawns we won't fund you. But CAW is not directly involved. I don't see CAW saying "CUPE mebemrs who buy non CAW vehicles are unsuportive"

Right or wong I think its undeniable that CAW is simply terrible at managing public opinion.The entire counrty is outraged that their tax $s are supporting GM/Chrysler and also CAW pensions. Is the negative attention drawn by letting this into the paper really worth it? It isn;t their fight per se. If they stayed quite gave the teams their funding and jst let the strike blow over (I mean really how badley is letting a few parents mow some fields going to effect CUPE negotiatiosn) what harm would be done to CAW. At the very least they should have let CUPE come out and say they were pushing CAW to withold funding from any organization who mows lawns. Frankley its stupid for CAW to go on the offensive here and has 0 benifit given the general public opinion right now.

I just don't see any positive in their actions in something that doesn't diretly effect them. It just looks bad.

[UmroAyyar]

toolatecrew, thats the thing, CAW's actions are increasingly alienating people. But there is quite a large audience for them as well, they primarily care about that IMO.

I see multiple issues being mixed up here.

[safristi]

let some little tykes get lost in the 3 foot grass.....................and then come back an 'splain yerself LUCY................... ...................a Tempissed inna T POT   as usual..........go out at happy hour they'd be no Nose PICKET errs then................... .................

[DockMan]

People doing the work of strikers = scab labour.  That doesn't change just because it's a kids' sports league and the parents would be doing the work for free.  It still undermines the strikers and unions' job is to discourage and prevent that as much as possible.

It constantly irks me how people let emotional arguments (i.e. kids are involved) cloud their logic. 

This statement by the union is counter productive to it's own cause. Counterproductive = stupid (had to add some math?) What better pressure on city government for the union than children and parents who want to participate in extra curricular sports forced to maintain soccer and baseball fields themselves. I wonder how many times these busy, two income families would do that before some of their anger came to bear on the city in support of the union (regardless of how stupid their strike is). Instead they chose to be inflexible, publicly idiotic and prove their own limited foresight, yet again. 

As far as clouded logic goes, I usually reserve that rhetoric for those who blindly support the union.

[articsteve]

From a liability standpoint I don't think the City can allow private citizens with power mowers on those fields.

Nothing stops management, the mayor or councillors from cutting the grass themselves. 

Actually this would be an ideal time to teach the kids beering drinking Canadian style because it's gonna end up being a big part of their life in the post Harponi era.

[Thinking Out Loud]

Oh please, this is a completely reasonable for the CAW to do.  It would be highly illogical to financially support activities that undermine your own position and members.  In the case the CAW is playing the only cards it has.

Jokers are WILD!   Suppose it keeps all the unemployed autoworkers busy......

[dr_spock]

It's the CAW's money.  They can choose how and on whom to spend it. 

[sailor723]

I guess their image is so bad anyway that they don't care how badly this makes them look.