From personal experience: Both of my parents have had extensive dealings with hospitals as both of them had cancer and my dad recently passed away from it. There was a definite bed shortage which was a glaring problem from the outset, however, the care that they got was top notch in my opinon. We never had to wait long before we were taken care of and even when my dad was dying in his bed, they continued to give him drugs and medicine in order to keep him around until his out of town sisters were able to make it.
That said, the system does need some overhauling. Our citizens are aging and it is outpacing our capacity. My wife is currently filling out her med-school applications and I'm surprised how much easier it is to get into American med schools than Canadian ones. this is a good thing though. It seems all of the applicants who get rejected from Canadian schools, head south and land spots.
In regards to the Sweden comment, yes they do pay much higher taxes, but they also have one of the happiest and healthiest societies. Despite the taxes, they have produced an extremely high amount of mega successful companies despite their small population and a huge number return to Sweden if they ever leave. They are obviously doing something right.
I can't understand how anyone who is good at their job and takes pride in their work would ever want to unionize. I think of engineers as professionals, professionals do not unionize in my books. If you don't like how your current employer treats you find a new employer.
In general I'm against unions, except in dangerous occupations. Unions unfairly force a company to keep employees while not placing this same demand on an employee to stay with a company. The fact that employees can take another job during a strike but a company cannot hire replacement workers is so one-sided it's ridiculous.
I accept our system for what it is. It works if you are seriously ill. It does not work that well when you are not.
I agree, I work in a unionized shop. unions only help the lazy, and get those people thier jobs.
Your right about about the healthcare, I just would like us to strive to help those who aren't critically ill, but would like their joints repaired or replaced in a timely fashion so they can live relatively pain free. and that goes for any procedure.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
From personal experience: Both of my parents have had extensive dealings with hospitals as both of them had cancer and my dad recently passed away from it. There was a definite bed shortage which was a glaring problem from the outset, however, the care that they got was top notch in my opinon. We never had to wait long before we were taken care of and even when my dad was dying in his bed, they continued to give him drugs and medicine in order to keep him around until his out of town sisters were able to make it.
That said, the system does need some overhauling. Our citizens are aging and it is outpacing our capacity. My wife is currently filling out her med-school applications and I'm surprised how much easier it is to get into American med schools than Canadian ones. this is a good thing though. It seems all of the applicants who get rejected from Canadian schools, head south and land spots.
In regards to the Sweden comment, yes they do pay much higher taxes, but they also have one of the happiest and healthiest societies. Despite the taxes, they have produced an extremely high amount of mega successful companies despite their small population and a huge number return to Sweden if they ever leave. They are obviously doing something right.
Sorry about your parents, yes our systems seems to treat the seriously ill in timely fashion, but I would like it to treat the not so serious in a timely fashion.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
I agree, I work in a unionized shop. unions only help the lazy, and get those people thier jobs.
There are always two sides to that coin.
I've worked in a couple of non-unionized shops (the wonders of a Law degree) and as a temp in a few factories, and I can tell you that unions aren't all bad. Unions may help the lazy, but the absence of a union can also allow an employer to exploit the hard-worker. The gap between the rich and the working poor is widening, so I'm not completely convinced that unions are of no use.
I agree, I work in a unionized shop. unions only help the lazy, and get those people thier jobs.
Your right about about the healthcare, I just would like us to strive to help those who aren't critically ill, but would like their joints repaired or replaced in a timely fashion so they can live relatively pain free. and that goes for any procedure.
Thats total BS that unions help only the lazy.....there are lazy workers regardless of their affliations....sometimes they are needed and sometimes they are not....
A little off topic I am engineer within the petroleum world and I want to unionize (and there are hundreds along the same), we get treated like crap and with piss-poor wage (well its not too bad actually but I view us as major contributors to the industry) compared to the amount of money we bring in to the company....Im talking major benefit cuts when record profits occur, expectations to work o/t with no monetary gain. As i get older I am seriously looking at leading an unionization movement...anyhow WAY OFF Topic...lol
come work for the EPCs if you think you don't make anything.
Did you just say that sometimes lazy workers are needed!!!! You must be having a tough day. Have a beer or three when you get home.
No I said unions do not help only lazy workers...they allow the big corps to stop expecting crap like working o/t for free....do you think it is justified to work for free even when your employer threatens that it may impede your moving up if you don't. That is BS.....
Corporations have a legal, fiduciary duty to their stockholders. Government run business, like healthcare in Canada, should have a duty to the people who are in essence the stockholders.
“One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
that's a different discussion. but who do you think *any* employer is loyal to?
the public is the primary loyalty however.
It should be and that is what my code of ethics I swore to states at least therefore my allegiance is to the public and not the corporation...public first, company second
It should be and that is what my code of ethics I swore to states at least therefore my allegiance is to the public and not the corporation...public first, company second
i think the whole collective bargaining thing for engineers is a bit of a grey area depending on the province. but it's been a while for me so i can't remember exactly.
i think the whole collective bargaining thing for engineers is a bit of a grey area depending on the province. but it's been a while for me so i can't remember exactly.
Thats total BS that unions help only the lazy.....there are lazy workers regardless of their affliations....sometimes they are needed and sometimes they are not....
First of all, thats off topic, but once your unionized everything goes via seniority, so if you do a good job, but don't have the seniority you will not get the job, but that lazy person might, then you'll see what I'm talking about.
Both my wife and I work in a unionized shop, both work hard, progress is impeded because of seniority, so sad, too bad, thats life, we deal with. Life's not fair, but if a person is lousy at his job or just doesn't care or is lazy then the employer should be able to fire that person without the union filing grievance after grevience and having the employer give in just to avoid costly expences.
As far as I, concerned the union job is to improve my wages, benefits, make sure our work envirement is safe and things along that line. If someone's not doing thier job the employer should be able to tell them that and if he coninues to not do the job. BYE BYE.
I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Corporations have a legal, fiduciary duty to their stockholders. Government run business, like healthcare in Canada, should have a duty to the people who are in essence the stockholders.
And what of sole proprietors? They are responsible only to themselves. The only restrictions placed upon them are legislative, and more often than not it can be beneficial to ignore those responsibilites. Heck, in most small business corporations, the shareholders also hold executive positions, making them accountable to essentially nobody.
What I'm getting at is; who protects the interests of workers where legislative measures fail? Increasingly, companies are making extensive use of temporary or 'part-time' workers simply because they are not afforded the same legislative benefits as full-timers.
Unions are far from perfect (many of them are just as bad or worse than a crooked employer), but they do serve a valid purpose.
Comments
That said, the system does need some overhauling. Our citizens are aging and it is outpacing our capacity. My wife is currently filling out her med-school applications and I'm surprised how much easier it is to get into American med schools than Canadian ones. this is a good thing though. It seems all of the applicants who get rejected from Canadian schools, head south and land spots.
In regards to the Sweden comment, yes they do pay much higher taxes, but they also have one of the happiest and healthiest societies. Despite the taxes, they have produced an extremely high amount of mega successful companies despite their small population and a huge number return to Sweden if they ever leave. They are obviously doing something right.
I agree, I work in a unionized shop. unions only help the lazy, and get those people thier jobs.
Your right about about the healthcare, I just would like us to strive to help those who aren't critically ill, but would like their joints repaired or replaced in a timely fashion so they can live relatively pain free. and that goes for any procedure.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
Sorry about your parents, yes our systems seems to treat the seriously ill in timely fashion, but I would like it to treat the not so serious in a timely fashion.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
There are always two sides to that coin.
I've worked in a couple of non-unionized shops (the wonders of a Law degree) and as a temp in a few factories, and I can tell you that unions aren't all bad. Unions may help the lazy, but the absence of a union can also allow an employer to exploit the hard-worker. The gap between the rich and the working poor is widening, so I'm not completely convinced that unions are of no use.
Thats total BS that unions help only the lazy.....there are lazy workers regardless of their affliations....sometimes they are needed and sometimes they are not....
come work for the EPCs if you think you don't make anything.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
as i vaguely recall.
No I said unions do not help only lazy workers...they allow the big corps to stop expecting crap like working o/t for free....do you think it is justified to work for free even when your employer threatens that it may impede your moving up if you don't. That is BS.....
Who's your employer supposed to be loyal to?
that's a different discussion. but who do you think *any* employer is loyal to?
the public is the primary loyalty however.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
It should be and that is what my code of ethics I swore to states at least therefore my allegiance is to the public and not the corporation...public first, company second
i think the whole collective bargaining thing for engineers is a bit of a grey area depending on the province. but it's been a while for me so i can't remember exactly.
hell, i get time and a half so it's all good.
lol...I need a new company....
yeah, the owner/operator side isn't everything it's made out to be. my stint there was short lived. i hated it.
Both my wife and I work in a unionized shop, both work hard, progress is impeded because of seniority, so sad, too bad, thats life, we deal with. Life's not fair, but if a person is lousy at his job or just doesn't care or is lazy then the employer should be able to fire that person without the union filing grievance after grevience and having the employer give in just to avoid costly expences.
As far as I, concerned the union job is to improve my wages, benefits, make sure our work envirement is safe and things along that line. If someone's not doing thier job the employer should be able to tell them that and if he coninues to not do the job. BYE BYE.
"Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
And what of sole proprietors? They are responsible only to themselves. The only restrictions placed upon them are legislative, and more often than not it can be beneficial to ignore those responsibilites. Heck, in most small business corporations, the shareholders also hold executive positions, making them accountable to essentially nobody.
What I'm getting at is; who protects the interests of workers where legislative measures fail? Increasingly, companies are making extensive use of temporary or 'part-time' workers simply because they are not afforded the same legislative benefits as full-timers.
Unions are far from perfect (many of them are just as bad or worse than a crooked employer), but they do serve a valid purpose.