It's So Typically Eddie

Now you know why Eddie has failed on the Border file. His weaknesses as a negotiator are laid bare for all to see in this one story. Amazingly, it captures so many of his flaws all at one time.

In the end, Eddie cannot handle pressure if he is made the focus of the strike. He wanted to be front and centre as the tough guy who would make CUPE bend. He got it but not in the way he expected. Again, typical--great on planning, poor on execution when Life does not work out according to his preconceived PLAN.

It's typical Eddie all in one Star story posted online on Sunday night, "City discussed direct offer to CUPE members to end strike: Francis" :

DON'T BLAME ME

• "Francis said he finds it a “predictable” strategy that CUPE would paint the mayor’s office as a target for public criticism. “They do this everywhere they go. They target the mayor... They try to break down the mayor and break down city council.”
  
  “I don’t view this as a popularity contest. I view this as part of the job in terms of making sure we’re delivering on fiscal responsibility.”

Interesting. Talking about himself in the third party and then is it the royal "we" or the collective "we?"

THREATEN

Oh my goodness. I bet the Senior Levels are still shaking from Eddie's judicial review litigation threats. Now CUPE has to worry about Eddie's threatened option:

• "With no end in sight to the city strike, Mayor Eddie Francis said Sunday that council has discussed bypassing CUPE leadership and offering a deal directly to union members.
  
  Francis said there is a provision in the labour laws that would allow the city to hold a “board-supervised vote,” where the city’s last offer would be put directly before the membership to vote upon. “It would be supervised by the Ministry of Labour.”
  
  Francis said the move has only been discussed as an option at this stage.
  
  “We have to weigh the pros and cons of that, because we only get one shot,” Francis said. “Council would want to make sure that, if we decide to do it, it’s the right time to do it.”
  
  “It’s an option that’s always been on the table. I don’t think that we’re there yet, in terms of asking for it. But... I don’t want to rule that out.”

Virtually similar language used with the lawsuit threat against the Senior Levels. Does Eddie dare do that and risk being a witness and being cross-examined by a skilled opponent? Hardly!

PROVOKE

• “CUPE wants this to be an issue of irate ratepayers dealing with garbage and weeds,” Francis said."

Actually, that seems to be Eddie's strategy so that he can get an injunction before Art in the Park and Red Bull.

Except it has become a "plague on both of their houses." Some citizens seem riled up already and want to take matters into their own hands:

• "Well, I guess the time has come to take the city into our on hands. It seems as though our Mayor and Cupe members care very little about us citizens. For whatever reason beyond anyones control, they will not get back to work. So, I purpose that we put a plan together so we can clean up some garbage and clean up some of our parks so our children can enjoy the summer. I'm not interested in letting these people ruin our city."

CUPE needs to play it smart now and not allow itself to be suckered in so that violence is provoked and an injunction ordered.

MY WAY OR THE PICKET LINE

If Eddie did not think of it, then the idea is worthless

• "Near the end of the talks, CUPE leadership suggested the involvement of a third-party arbitrator, and offered to come back to work if this were to occur. “If they bought into that, we’d be back to work on Monday,” Wood said.
  
  Wood said the union received no official answer to the suggestion.
  
  Reached after talks had broken down, the mayor expressed his dislike of the idea."

MEDIATION WAS AN OPTION FOR GREENLINK

According to Eddie's terms that is.

But arbitration was not an option for the CUPE strike it seems. Eddie does not have the guts to let a third party make the decision. He must think he might lose.

GRAB THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT THROUGH YOUR FRIENDLY NEWSPAPER

• "On Sunday, the mayor contacted the Star to elaborate on his comments and voice further disappointment with CUPE leadership."

The Star gave him a dozen paragraphs to mouth off and whine. Jim Wood got one!

CHANGE THE DEBATE

Gee, I thought the issue was post retirement benefits for new hires. I guess that CUPE's offer was so reasonable on that issue that Eddie had to find another one to justify his walking away from the table:

• "the union looking for guaranteed job security for its members.”

That should be worth a hundred or so anti-CUPE comments.

WHAT DID EDDIE OFFER

We heard out of Eddie's mouth, not the Union's, what CUPE offered. Is the Star that lazy to take his word for it.

Interestingly, we did not hear what Eddie offered and what he supposedly will take to the CUPE members one day.

If it was any good, he would have gone to binding arbitration.