Nice Democratic Union You Have There, Pity if Robert Smol Should Happen to it.
At a Union Convention, a few hundred delegates get together and vote on a number of issues. The votes of those few hundred make up a decision for the whole union. Or, as Robert Smol self-servingly put it in today’s Toronto Sun:
See how that works, A few hundred leftists get together, vote on a leftist position, and call it fully democratic for the entirety of the 45,000 members.
In this case, Smol and his smug, self aggrandizing unionistas decided that the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association would levy “ a $60-per-member fee increase specifically earmarked to help elect an ‘education-friendly government.’” In other words, they chose to stiff the hard working teachers to pay for an anti-Tim Hudak campaign. And because these few hundred delegates voted on the teachers behalf (without prior consultation, of course), that is a “democratic decision.”
Reminds one of an unnamed Parliamentary page, who truly believes democracy means only her vote counts.
Smol uses various familiar rhetoric to defend his version of democracy, including allowing that members can work to change the bylaws and motions at general meetings. What he fails to mention is he, and his activist brothers, will use company and union resources to oppose him, while the member must do any fighting on his time and dime. This is one of the tricks unions use to fudge democracy to their side, to keep mere members from having any real say.
The same applies to Mr. Smol on his arguments for allowing teachers to take paid days off to campaign for “education-friendly candidates.” The taxpayers won’t be picking up the tab, assures our teacher of logic, the union will. And if you are a catholic school teacher who votes Tory? What if you want to spend some time, and money, supporting your candidate? Well, stop your, “petulance,” and support your candidate on your time, your dime, while the union supports their candidate on… your time, your dime.
Nice democracy you have there at the OECTA. Pity if Robert Smol should happen to it.
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