Winnipeg Fire hall picketed

[five_alarm]

WINNIPEG, MB - Disgruntled members of a local stagehand union are picketing a city fire hall this morning. Members of IATSE Local 63 (http://www.iatse63.com/) are protesting a decision by some firefighters to continue moonlighting as stagehands for a non-unionized temp firm at the MTS Centre (http://www.mtscentre.ca/) — 18 months after being told by their own union to stop. IATSE members had worked extensively at the old Winnipeg Arena, but True North officials chose to go with a non-unionized firm for the MTS Centre once it opened in November 2004.Source: winnipegsun.com (http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/07/14/1685004.html)

[bestcoast]

Not really the full story looks like, but if the little that is there is true these members should called on the carpet by their local for sure............BC......

[barneyf]

I dont disagree with you about that, but would you not need to talk to about 80% of the guys who moonlight. What about painters, teachers, electricians, millrights, carpenters-they are all working union jobs or taking jobs away from union people.

[smoke286]

Is that a fact.....

[BCFFFV]

I dont disagree with you about that, but would you not need to talk to about 80% of the guys who moonlight. What about painters, teachers, electricians, millrights, carpenters-they are all working union jobs or taking jobs away from union people.


There is a difference here than simply having a second job. We have EVERY right to work in our spare time. This particular case seems a little bit different.

[bestcoast]

I dont disagree with you about that, but would you not need to talk to about 80% of the guys who moonlight. What about painters, teachers, electricians, millrights, carpenters-they are all working union jobs or taking jobs away from union people.
Oh I agree, I was just commenting on the part that says they were asked by their own union 18 months ago to stop working.................BC..................

[dentedhead]

There is a difference here than simply having a second job. We have EVERY right to work in our spare time. This particular case seems a little bit different.

I dont know if it would be a right,however if a guy/gal choses to take on work in a field that they are trained in why not.If you are acting as a small business working on referal (which most of us do) I dont see you taking any business away from a big union shop or the the small independant contractor/business.

But if you work for a unionized company then you have to play by that unions rules when you are working for them.To knowingly scab a union/company in the same biz is just wrong.

Isnt that what much of the two hatter fight is about?Non union labour.That aspect moreso in the states than here but it is occuring with some regularity in growing cities.

I dont think there is much that their local can do as it is their off time and dosent directly fall under the constitution(far as I know) but the local could educate them on why what they are doing is not proper.


Dentedhead

[PEMS17]

I think the point is this, unionized employees of a organized labour group were basicly locked out when the a new entertainment centre was built. They have refused to allow union labour do the stage setup, rigging etc. In my eyes they are crossing, while I won't go as far as s*** labour, they sure as hell aren't supportive of fellow unionized employees. A lot of the guys and gals locked out, i understand this was their primary eans of income, not a day off make a couple extra bucks to pay off the boat sooner jobs.
the people have protested to no avail, hard to convince an employer when cheaper and available labour is more than willing to step up. I know some people won't like this post but too bad, you don't want somebody to cut your grass, then don't cut somebody else's.

[barneyf]

I agree whole heartly that crossing another unions picket line to make a few bucks on the side is only going to bite us all in the ass on day. It is not right. I was just bringing the idea of moonlighting up for discussion. It gets bashed around our union meetings every once and a while. I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I said I was fully against working on the side as I have been know to do it the odd time......

[dentedhead]

I agree whole heartly that crossing another unions picket line to make a few bucks on the side is only going to bite us all in the ass on day. It is not right. I was just bringing the idea of moonlighting up for discussion. It gets bashed around our union meetings every once and a while. I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I said I was fully against working on the side as I have been know to do it the odd time......

Moonlighting isnt an issue,its as much a tradition as FFs enjoying ice cream.We all work with guys and gals that have some pretty cool side gigs.

I think that the issue gets sticky when a union member basically gives a member of another union the one finger salute and then goes on a tangent when his own brothers dont tow the line in their own union.

For the record I am very much pro IAFF,I have very little respect for CUPE after being jammed by them for years.That being said I would never scab to earn a couple of extra bucks on the meat bus on my days off if they were in some type of labour dispute.

Dentedhead

[PEMS17]

I think that is the whole point here, pretty hard for these "organized workers" to force the employer to the table when somebody is coming in the back door. It would definitely leave a bad taste in my mouth and any other unionized worker anywhere. it may not be illegal but it sure as hell is unethical.

[BCFFFV]

I wonder if this whole issue was the result of IAFF members wearing their Fire Dept. T-Shirts at their side gig????? If we are working side jobs we really don't need to advertise that fact to the whole world. That's just my opinion.

[smoke286]

I think the point is this, unionized employees of a organized labour group were basicly locked out when the a new entertainment centre was built. They have refused to allow union labour do the stage setup, rigging etc. In my eyes they are crossing, while I won't go as far as s*** labour, they sure as hell aren't supportive of fellow unionized employees. A lot of the guys and gals locked out, i understand this was their primary eans of income, not a day off make a couple extra bucks to pay off the boat sooner jobs.
the people have protested to no avail, hard to convince an employer when cheaper and available labour is more than willing to step up. I know some people won't like this post but too bad, you don't want somebody to cut your grass, then don't cut somebody else's.

I agree with you actually

[smoke286]

I wonder if this whole issue was the result of IAFF members wearing their Fire Dept. T-Shirts at their side gig????? If we are working side jobs we really don't need to advertise that fact to the whole world. That's just my opinion.

Either way, we are members of the CLC, the IAFF is a labour organization and locally we are all members of "the house of labour"

There is an old axiom that we spupport locally it is labour supports labour. Whenever there are people on a picket line in our area we will show up to provide visible support, we will cook boilers of soup and bring it up to them (incidentally management has never complained about this) To then have our members individually cross over their picket lines to side jobs would be unacceptable, although I'm not sure how we would deal with it. They must be in a bit of a quandry in Winnipeg.

[dentedhead]

I wonder if this whole issue was the result of IAFF members wearing their Fire Dept. T-Shirts at their side gig????? If we are working side jobs we really don't need to advertise that fact to the whole world. That's just my opinion.


Think about that old joke.......How do you know when a FF is in a bar....

Besides there are lots of folks wearing FD tees, easily bought on any number of websites.Some of them may have even toured a FH when they were kids.

I doubt very much that was the case.

Dentedhead

[BCFFFV]

Think about that old joke.......How do you know when a FF is in a bar....

Besides there are lots of folks wearing FD tees, easily bought on any number of websites.Some of them may have even toured a FH when they were kids.

I doubt very much that was the case.

Dentedhead


You're probably right (like usual) However I see it happening all the time and I think it's best that if we are working on our days off it's better for us in the end if we don't advertise it to everyone.

[scoop422]

C'mon DH finish the joke I haven't heard it. Unions don't just look after themselves they also look out for other unions. Unless your Sid Ryan, the guy runs for NDP in Oshawa and can't get elected? What's wrong here.

[irsqyu]

Think about that old joke.......How do you know when a FF is in a bar....

Besides there are lots of folks wearing FD tees, easily bought on any number of websites.Some of them may have even toured a FH when they were kids.

I doubt very much that was the case.

Dentedhead

Check out Paul, Pauley, and Mikey Teutle on "American Chopper", they are always wearing FD Tees.;)

[dentedhead]

C'mon DH finish the joke I haven't heard it. Unions don't just look after themselves they also look out for other unions. Unless your Sid Ryan, the guy runs for NDP in Oshawa and can't get elected? What's wrong here.



Awright just for you scoop

How do you know when a FF is in a bar......

He will tell you

Please tell me you really havent heard that one LOL.

Dentedhead

[scoop422]

I haven't! But it sure is fitting!

[five_alarm]

WINNIPEG, MB - IATSE who were shut out of concert work at the MTS Centre after handling those duties for decades at the Winnipeg Arena -- are fuming at a handful of unionized city firefighters for what they claim is a failure to show solidarity. "They get trained as high-steel riggers with the fire department, then go to MTS Centre to utilize those skills," said IATSE spokesman Barny Haines. The stage-rigging union -- embroiled in a nasty dispute with MTS Centre managers since the arena opened in November 2004 -- has singled out fire crew member Danny Wasylkiw...Source: winnipegsun.com (http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/07/15/1685999-sun.html)

[dentedhead]

What's making me upset is that some of these guys are even being called scabs," Forrest said. "But individual members on time off have the ability to do what they wish. How powerful do they think a union is to control members on their time off?"- Alex Forrest local pres in the Winnipeg Sun

That is a statement that could come back to bite him in the ass if the chapeau au deux issue is as contentious in Manitoba as it is in Ontario.

I do agree with the idea of that statement. However I am anti two lids.I dont think someone should be expelled from the union over it.

Dentedhead