This union is ‘employers’ dream’

At my age I am not easily struck dumb with amazement but the news coming out about the Gillis Lodge staff “signing an historical agreement” left me thunderstruck!

The spokesperson, Paul Trainor and “administrator” of this group describe it as an “employee owned and operated in house association”.

He also works for the P.E.I. Business Federation who the Eastern Graphic reports as being the person who “put together a comprehensive 35page contract to which both sides were more than eager to commit”.

A business organization compiles the contract that the employees signed? The business owner’s organization? No wonder the employer signed on! The employees did too because in a small workplace they would be easily singled out for a contrived exit had any not done so.

Sure the workers got some concessions like wage increases, health and dental plan (again what does that cover and how much is taken off the paycheques or if not now later down the road) and a “matched” RRSP, which means the employee has deductions every paycheque. Not such great “advantages” when one thinks about it.

The other “advantage” Trainor and Jeffrey Haight, president of this new “union”, are especially proud of is that employees will pay less in yearly union dues ($120 versus $500). Perhaps so, but when one sorts out that a small workforce has to pay over $100 each to have their interests managed that isn’t such a big saving after all.

Att the end of the day they will be at the total mercy of management and the employer. They will have no tools like being able to strike or work to rule to force the owner to make concessions.

Please don’t insult us with the “it’s all about the residents” (rhetoric) because at the end of the day it is always about the employers’ bottom line. History proves this to be so. The crunch will be when employee reps sit at the same table as several department managers and I would assume the boss. How brave and forthcoming will those employees be? I worked at the mussel plant just down the road where this model was used to address Workers Compensation safety issues.

Were we listened to? Not that I observed. Nor was there much in the way of workers speaking up either.

They kept their heads down and kept their complaints in the lunchroom.

Grievances would be handled differently and “in a more streamlined way”?

Details were not given. I can just picture that scenario: an employee sitting in front of two to three management people who have the power to make life miserable for that worker until they quit or skitter away and keep their heads low forever after.

No one will ever challenge management under that system.

This so called new union is an employers’ dream!