Windsor's outside municipal workers went on strike Wednesday morning after negotiations failed. The heart of the issue seems to be how the city wants to eliminate benefits for new hires and of course the supposed wage increase for current workers that the city claims is on the table. The city negotiating team so far does not seem willing to bargain fairly and they are only interested in concessions, which CUPE local 82 will not bargain concessions.

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However, it has been pointed out that a recent salary increase of 15% was given to managers while they are in turn asking the union members to take a wage freeze and eliminate benefits to new workers. This is creating a fear that a two tier wage and benefits system would cause dissension amongst the union workers.

At the opening game of the Western Conference OHL final between the Windsor Spitfires and London Knights, city workers were picketing outside the WFCU arena, but did not disrupt traffic entering the parking lot. Garbage continues to pile up along Windsor streets and some people of Windsor are doing their usual anti-union bashing and showing disdain for those that make a decent living. In this economically hard hit city, a person making more than $10 an hour is treated as an overpaid union bum and is treated with constant scorn for making more than what they are supposedly worth and in all honesty, it makes me sick to see the people of my town act that way.

Windsor has prospered in the past thanks to the union folk who spent their money in the community, but now that things are tough, an enemy needs to be had and that enemy is the middle class worker, specifically the union worker. I read the opinions in the Windsor Star and its full of hatred and vitriol. Either these people are jealous, dumb, or a combination of both but I don't think placing blame on the worker is going to solve the economic mess we are in. Another thing, I see so many people talking about how they would gladly take over these "overpaid" jobs for half the money because with the economy the way it is, people should be happy with the fact that they have a job. Well, to those people I say, go apply for all the low paying farm jobs, fish processing, greenhouse jobs that I see advertised on the job bank all the time. I see jobs like that posted all summer long so obviously some aren't putting their money where their mouths are.

There is in fact another strike occurring here as well. Veteran cab workers have been on strike for nearly 3 weeks and there hasn't been much negotiating. Also, the inside municipal workers of CUPE Local 543 have mediation talks set for this Friday.

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