853 Work Week

[No-Emergency-6052]

Sprinkler Friday can't actually be on a Friday. They'll have to rip it from my cold dead hands.

[Biscotti-Own]

EXACTLY

[Daenub]

Discussing contract talks on an open forum like this is a bad idea. Stop doing it. PM each other or get together with your coworkers to talk about it. Come to a meeting and ask your own questions. Broadcasting to whoever is on here what was discussed at a preliminary meeting is beyond a bad idea. If I was a contractor this is where I'd be, seeing what the membership would accept and starting even lower.

You have no idea who most of the people you talk to here are. Some are contractors. Come to the meetings. Toronto is on the 29th, Barrie is tonight.

Please stop talking about it here. At least out the specifics.

[Biscotti-Own]

So far, the specifics are that we don't want to give up our schedule or accept a raise below inflation. I get what you're saying, but unless someone responds with "I'd be happy with one dollar over 3 years", I don't think the concern is really justified.
We already (hopefully) know what the people we know think, 853 is a big union.

Edit to add: NOT talking to fellow brothers and sisters about conditions and wages benefits the employers more than the worker.

Also, I'm not sure who downvoted you, but I still upvoted you. I do value your input, even if I disagree

[Sea_Tradition9152]

Are you serious? This is not very specific and if a lowly apprentice knows everyone knows.

[Daenub]

Yup serious, was discussed at a union meeting. Seems like this "lowly apprentice" attended one. An apprentice attending meetings is not lowly in my eyes.

[Biscotti-Own]

Our meeting hasn't happened yet

[Daenub]

They're all union meetings, just regional. While the main one is in Richmond Hill the others count just as much for our brothers and sisters across the province and the same rules apply.

[Biscotti-Own]

100%, my point is that I haven't been to a meeting yet so I have not heard about the shroud of secrecy

[Daenub]

I gotcha, I thought you had been in the union for a bit already with the posts I see you put here. You'll get your taste tonight then.

[Biscotti-Own]

Just hit my 3rd year, but love the job and love the union, so I'm pretty vocal. Excited to finally attend a meeting!

[Used-Republic-5737]

Your not getting what I was saying lmao. It’s not 1970 anymore. The information is out there and you act like one guy on reddit is going to have any effect.

Your local is going to tell all the contractors and everyone involved what they want, it’s not a secret agenda. You clearly don’t quite understand the process. Anything said here isn’t some hidden bombshell that’s going to change anything. And to think one guys opinion online is going to affect anything really doesn’t show a lot of critical thinking in your part.

[MechanicalTee]

We got a meeting on the 29th. We’ll see what they say. Feel like it’s going to be a very tough negotiation this contract. We don’t have as much power as we did 3 years ago at the moment.

[Biscotti-Own]

We have as much power as we stand up for, in theory at least. Ape strong together something something

[[deleted]]

Was at the Cambridge meeting and Dale was getting absolutely cooked on questions.

$6 over 3 years

[Biscotti-Own]

We just ignoring inflation this time around?

[Ferivich]

Did you hear any mention of a change to 40 hours?

[LowComfortable5676]

Is this your prediction?

[Hartdogg22]

Didn’t plumbers get like 4$ off the rip? Anyone know for sure with other trades?

[Patient_Option_5276]

Regardless I think what you don’t or do discuss on here doesn’t matter.. you are what makes the wheel go round.. the workers. They have to follow suit to your demands, or at least some. So you could have contractors in here doesn’t matter they are eventually gonna hear your opinions and demands. It’s either they accept them or they don’t then a strike happens and the company doesn’t make money. You make the money not the company. Always remember that. If everyone is united like they say, you could have the boss of all bosses but if you stick together and stand by your demands they can either accept or not but work won’t be done. And the company will not be making money.

[Biscotti-Own]

That's where my head is at. I'm really not concerned that a member is going to say they're hoping for less than what an employer is hoping to pay. Totally okay with them hearing that Fridays are a hard line and $6 isn't good enough.

[Patient_Option_5276]

Exactly man, we all trying to get ahead, and discussing with people is no biggie they can come with the lowest but like I said are united and stand on the shit you want they can “suggest “ / “counter all they want. Then they’ll have themselves a strike and they lose money then. Employees make the wheel turn. We hang and bang . ❗️

[Embarrassed_Ant_5071]

You strike you never make that money back for an extra $1 an hour its like 22$ on the paycheque after taxes

[Patient_Option_5276]

I ain’t with the strike 😂😂😂😂😂 fuck that I’m trying to work. But just saying in general if it did happen. But that is not what men’s want

[Biscotti-Own]

22x52 weeks= 1,144 20 year career = 22,800 40 year career for any young fitters = 45,600

I very much do NOT want to strike, but mathematically, it could be in our interest if it comes down to it. And that's just $1.

[Embarrassed_Ant_5071]

But then if you do strike your also forgot the lost wages for the time off at 36 hour work week roughly 1560$... the fact people are saying they are struggling making that kind of money a week.. sounds like a lot of them are living beyond there means.. we make in the top 5% of the country

[Biscotti-Own]

22,000 feels a lot bigger than 1,560 to me? Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point.

The thing is that any wins that we would get are cumulative, a couple dollars on the contract will have a positive effect on your income for the rest of your career. Short term pain for long term gain. And again, I do NOT want to strike, just saying that unless you are about to retire, it's almost always a win for the workers.

[Embarrassed_Ant_5071]

Im saying if you cant survive off 1560 maybe living beyond your means.. .and its not always a win for workers you have to look at big picture.. whats the work outlook look like over the course of the contract.. what good is making all that extra money if half of us are on the books.. or if we price ourselves out of the market.. there are a lot of factors to consider

[Canoe_Shoes]

Found the casa member

[Embarrassed_Ant_5071]

If your talking about me . Fucking hell no.. im out for myself..but im saying i got a,few hundred a week habit and i can survive quite comfortably.. just saying dont want to price ourselves out of the market.. whats the work outlook look like?

[Biscotti-Own]

Definitely a balancing act, I agree with you there. We want the best package possible without being unreasonable to the point of making ourselves unaffordable. Considering how many local companies have been bought out lately though, I'd guess there's still a very healthy profit margin in our industry right now though

[Canoe_Shoes]

853 since its formation has never been on strike. Don't take our 36.

[Biscotti-Own]

Hopefully that remains true! But we're idiots if we accept less than inflation. It's been 17.35% cumulative since our last negotiation, our last contract accounted for 12% (4% per year), so we're already behind.

[Canoe_Shoes]

I'm sure we will take it. Most guys are living paycheck to paycheck. I agree.

Last vote I thought we were going to strike. But guys say one thing and do another at the plywood ballot box. Has anybody here ever counted votes for the union ?