No Love Affairs

It just could not last

CUPE/EDGAR WAR CONTINUES

Can you believe that the deal between the Union and City has not been signed after 6 months. What does Edgar (aka Eddie) want to do, force them to go back on the picket lines and in the cold weather too!

He better do that before PETU organizes as well so he can blame them if there are problems. Now John Miceli will learn how it is to be used and to take the blame.

It is interesting to see all of the anti-CUPE posts still being made on the Star website. Good stuff for the failed Edgar and the hardliners for re-election.

But what is this...arbitration to resolve the issue? Imagine using people from 4-500Km away to do that. Where are Edgar's principles about absolutely no arbitration! Let's hear it already.

Amazing, CUPE people could be quoted but "City administrators, including CAO Helga Reidel, who was lead negotiator for the city, could not be reached for comment."

What's this really about---I told you about the caretakers. Here is what else I have been told:

• "On Thursday, Local 82 will be given formal notice of the intent to contract out garbage."

Demonize CUPE in advance by damaging propaganda spewed out by the Messenger. It's a good tactic to use. Notice that Councillor Lewenza was mentioned too to continue to discredit him.

He and his colleagues did not need to know anything or they might have forced a closure to try to bring people together after the 101-day strike. It would have been the "Vanilla" thing to do:

• "city council has not been made aware the deal has not yet been signed."

CUPE and Lewenza in one story. A Twofer.

As I Blogged, but CUPE leaders will not listen:

• "That is why CUPE has no choice but to fight aggressively on the bad faith claim against the City and to go after back wages, all $30M of them. I trust that Edgar (aka Eddie) will be the first City witness who will be cross-examined. I'd like to BLOG a copy of that transcript!
  
  Being a push-over will accomplish little for CUPE. Peace in our time with Edgar and the hardliners will not work since slamming CUPE and the Lewenzas is their re-election meal ticket."

KISS AND MAKE UP

Caretakers UPDATE as CUPE and PETU get relationship counselling.

Big garbage containers welcomed City staff back to work. However, I am told:

• "John Miceli agreed to hold off until talking with 543."

HIT THE ROAD DWIGHT

This affair is over before it got started (except for Dwight paying a Red Bull alimony)

Remember Gord's comment:

• "it appears peace might be at hand.
  
  Later this month Francis and Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will hold a meeting that, if all goes well, could allow the city to at last sign off on the province’s Parkway plan. Instead of lawsuits, there would be smiling faces all round. And lots of photo-ops. That would be good news for a departing Francis and better news for ministers Duncan and Sandra Pupatello if their career plans include getting re-elected here in 2011."

Yea, right. Now who could have leaked that information to Gord and then leaked the following to mini-Gord? The corrupt Councillor being protected by the Star and mini-Gord perhaps or someone else?

I wonder what the headline maker was thinking by this headline. It does have a double menaing. Clearly we know whom he does NOT want for Mayor:

• "Snake in path of Windsor-Essex Parkway"

Mini-Gord tells us:

• "Thousands of badly needed construction jobs associated with the enormous project could be delayed unless an agreement to protect the snake and several wildflowers also unique to the region can be reached.
  
  I don't think a delay is likely -- at least not for long. But some kind of deal to protect the so-called endangered species is going to have to be struck or the jobs could end up in legal limbo.
  
  Talks are now underway between Ontario's Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the City of Windsor.
  
  A week before Christmas, David Estrin, Windsor's Toronto-based environmental lawyer, filed a 19-page critique of the way the province has gone about issuing permits for the parkway."

A great time for the news to be made public, right before the meeting too.

Has Dwight been suckered for the 3rd time or is this a warning to settle with Edgar or else?

And all those millions that could have been used for other tourist events rather than for Red Bull that Dwight foolishly will arrange to be paid out to glorify Edgar in this election year.

Poor Dwight, he did not even get to go to overseas like Edgar either to get the publicity.

It's not like Dwight to slip up like this politically. He must be getting too soft as Minister. Or maybe he has Provincial leadership on his mind.

I can hardly wait for some Liberal insider to tell me I am wrong after this Edgar stunt.