The Way She Goes.....

By : Dennis Stein

  Why is it that we settle for what we get these days? I watched the recent CUPW lock out by Canada Post, and although most people were very supportive, there were some who were either misinformed, or flat out disagreed with the picketers, shouting for them to get back to work, or that they should be fired and let other people be hired who WANT to work. Those folks who do nothing like Canada Post employees have no idea what is involved. It is not a simple leisurely stroll with a few envelopes. Most letter carriers walk the equivalent of a marathon each day, carrying a great deal of weight, through whatever mother nature chooses to dish up that day...The fact that CUPW is simply trying to keep their previous collective agreement, without even seeking outlandish wage increases, seems to do little to appease some of the people driving by.
  Some of those same people probably were on their way to the local gas station, to fuel their vehicles. I am sure that they are not happy about the price per liter for gasoline. But do they do anything about it? They chastise the posties, saying they should be glad to even have a good job with a pension these days. The problem with that statement is this : 'These days' is the result of allowing corporations to impose their will on the employees freely, regardless of unions, and with little retribution. We pay the highest taxes in the world, allow hydro and natural gas companies to dictate the amount we will pay in a climate where HEAT is a life necessity, and accept all of this as though there is nothing we can do in this 'new economy'. Air Canada's CEO pockets $86 million dollars in a time period where workers are forced to accept $10,000 dollar a year pay cuts, and boost their productivity. Canada post CEO Deepak Chopra is being paid just under a half million per year plus a 33% bonus, yet is telling CUPW that their 3% per year increase is not doable. Meanwhile, CEO wages are increasing above 4% per year?
  The bottom line here is that things have gotten a little out of control. Energy costs are spiralling upwards, your Hydro and gas bill equal your mortgage, everything you buy is more expensive as a result of higher fuel prices, and we seem content to just carry on with our lives, shrugging and saying 'That's just the way she goes...'
  I appreciate that the older folks among us came from a tough as nails upbringing , where jobs were harder to find. I can also appreciate that we still live in the greatest country on the planet, where freedom and tolerance of the differences among us still reign supreme. There are simply a few things which need to be corrected. So don't complain about the politicians, they only lie and steal because we allow them to. Don't complain about your job or the amount it costs to fuel your vehicle if you think there is nothing you can do about it. Canada is a place where you should not have to be thanking your lucky stars you have a good job, it should be the norm for all that we pay for. Greed must come to an end somewhere, and we canadians must stop acting like cattle being led to the slaughterhouse. Just because it IS, doesn't make it RIGHT... Mooooooo.....