The beat goes on
This page is disappointed, but not surprised that over the Labour Day weekend, City of Vancouver officials rejected an offer from striking CUPE civic workers. The lack of surprise comes from an understanding of the history of Vancouver's so-called "Non-Partisan" Association which currently controls City Council. The NPA was established in 1937 because Vancouver's capitalist elite, shaken by labour unrest radiating from the Depression, lived in irrational terror of a Bolshevik coup at City Hall. This belligerent anti-union alliance of Liberals and Conservatives ruled Vancouver for decades, and would later be aped by W.A.C. Bennet and Social Credit across the Province.
In our day and age, the NPA stands for little more than winning at all costs and keeping the CCF/NDP/COPE out of power. It's pretty much the same right-wing, "don't blink", "no cut and run" bullying bullsh*t that powers the Bush Administration in Washington, Stephen Harper's government in Ottawa, and the regime of Gordon Campbell, a former NPA mayor, in Victoria. At 12th and Cambie, it's meant having to put up with a Mayor who won't come clean about stealing the 2002 election from Vision Vancouver's Jim Green by using the phony shadow candidacy of James Green. Sam Sullivan has been recorded in a documentary about himself talking about how much he loves stepping on his opponents' throats, and when CUPE hit the picket lines, he made a point of telling the public he had better things to do than deal with the strike. If there is any major North American being run by a criminal organization lead by a sociopath, I think this page may be pretty close to being there.
After 47 days, this strike has appeared to come down to two issues: Contracting out and Whistleblower protection. In the case of contracting out: CUPE wants an agreement with the city that their members won't be replaced by private contractors in the run-up to, during, or after the Olympics. The City has a similar arrangement with the Pacific National Exhibition, they don't go firing the high school kids from CUPE 1004 who worked at Playland all summer during the Fair at the end of August and replace them with out-of-town carnies. If it works for the Fair, why can't it work for the Olympics? Is it because the Olympics, unlike the Fair, is supposed to be the biggest showcase for right-wing capitalism (masquerading as public-private partnerships)since the Berlin games of 1936?
As for Whistleblower protection, it's a no-brainer for any person with an understanding of the term 'ethics', but it's completely natural that an NPA-controlled City Hall would be against it. Withholding that protection keeps it easy for the NPA to fire city staff and bust their unions, who will now be working at full capacity next year to drive the NPA out of office. Keeping a lid on whatever corruption is taking place also makes it easier to focus the public's attention on such non-issues as the "rift" between COPE and Vision Vancouver, despite the fact that both centre-left parties are on speaking terms, and cooperate during and outside of elections.
This page is disappointed, but not surprised that over the Labour Day weekend, City of Vancouver officials rejected an offer from striking CUPE civic workers. The lack of surprise comes from an understanding of the history of Vancouver's so-called "Non-Partisan" Association which currently controls City Council. The NPA was established in 1937 because Vancouver's capitalist elite, shaken by labour unrest radiating from the Depression, lived in irrational terror of a Bolshevik coup at City Hall. This belligerent anti-union alliance of Liberals and Conservatives ruled Vancouver for decades, and would later be aped by W.A.C. Bennet and Social Credit across the Province.
In our day and age, the NPA stands for little more than winning at all costs and keeping the CCF/NDP/COPE out of power. It's pretty much the same right-wing, "don't blink", "no cut and run" bullying bullsh*t that powers the Bush Administration in Washington, Stephen Harper's government in Ottawa, and the regime of Gordon Campbell, a former NPA mayor, in Victoria. At 12th and Cambie, it's meant having to put up with a Mayor who won't come clean about stealing the 2002 election from Vision Vancouver's Jim Green by using the phony shadow candidacy of James Green. Sam Sullivan has been recorded in a documentary about himself talking about how much he loves stepping on his opponents' throats, and when CUPE hit the picket lines, he made a point of telling the public he had better things to do than deal with the strike. If there is any major North American being run by a criminal organization lead by a sociopath, I think this page may be pretty close to being there.
After 47 days, this strike has appeared to come down to two issues: Contracting out and Whistleblower protection. In the case of contracting out: CUPE wants an agreement with the city that their members won't be replaced by private contractors in the run-up to, during, or after the Olympics. The City has a similar arrangement with the Pacific National Exhibition, they don't go firing the high school kids from CUPE 1004 who worked at Playland all summer during the Fair at the end of August and replace them with out-of-town carnies. If it works for the Fair, why can't it work for the Olympics? Is it because the Olympics, unlike the Fair, is supposed to be the biggest showcase for right-wing capitalism (masquerading as public-private partnerships)since the Berlin games of 1936?
As for Whistleblower protection, it's a no-brainer for any person with an understanding of the term 'ethics', but it's completely natural that an NPA-controlled City Hall would be against it. Withholding that protection keeps it easy for the NPA to fire city staff and bust their unions, who will now be working at full capacity next year to drive the NPA out of office. Keeping a lid on whatever corruption is taking place also makes it easier to focus the public's attention on such non-issues as the "rift" between COPE and Vision Vancouver, despite the fact that both centre-left parties are on speaking terms, and cooperate during and outside of elections.
At this point, this page sees this thing ending like this: Sam Sullivan will beg for Gordon Campbell to step in, the BC Fed will shut down Vancouver for a day or two in order to pressure the City into a deal, or some combination of the two. Stay tuned for the staggering conclusion.
Spartikus - thanks for the info. I was thinking of something else in relation to 1925.
