Foreign Service - Strike?

[DGT]

I think the attitude of the Harper Government in general is well proven both here, and in other articles.

They stand to lose a great deal more in tourist revenue from the strike, than they would from giving PAFSO their requested raise (and that's without any negotiation. I'm sure that PAFSO would accept a middle ground compromise.) but they persist in refusing to negotiate. Why? Because they hold the principle of Unions in contempt.

Stubbornly refusing to be pragmatic and logical in politics and just being blindingly dogmatic in the application of ideology. What a mess.

 

[amikety]

I think the attitude of the Harper Government in general is well proven both here, and in other articles.

They stand to lose a great deal more in tourist revenue from the strike, than they would from giving PAFSO their requested raise (and that's without any negotiation. I'm sure that PAFSO would accept a middle ground compromise.) but they persist in refusing to negotiate. Why? Because they hold the principle of Unions in contempt.

Stubbornly refusing to be pragmatic and logical in politics and just being blindingly dogmatic in the application of ideology. What a mess.

Not to mention parts of the country depend on tourism for their economy and badly need that income, such as the Atlantic seaboard.

 

[DGT]

Not to mention parts of the country depend on tourism for their economy and badly need that income, such as the Atlantic seaboard.

Indeed. My wife is from the Maritimes, and her father owns some successful restaurants there that rely on the tourist crowd heavily. He's tightening his belt for a lean season.

 

[amikety]

Indeed. My wife is from the Maritimes, and her father owns some successful restaurants there that rely on the tourist crowd heavily. He's tightening his belt for a lean season.

My heart really goes out to those people. I've read about how sluggish the economy is out there & how many depend on the tourist dollars.

Now I am wondering if Stampede will see a decrease in attendance - if we can slush all the mud out of the Saddle Dome.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

From that article, "We are caught in the middle. ... It's the unpredictability that's the problem. ..."

Yeah, no *censored word*!

Reading the point of view from the spouse, I do feel for the foreign workers. I can empathize, because it's very similar to the challenges faced by military families. Many spouses unable to work, kind of "back-burnered" for their spouses' careers. Living in a place where one might find it difficult to be a part of the community. Long distances between you and family and friends.

Absolutely. There should well be a compensation factor for military spouses. My uncle was in the air force and was moved around from base to base my aunt could not work until he finally made Colonel and was stationed at Trenton until he retired. All those years spent out of the work force didn't leave her much opportunity when she finally had a chance to get a job.

 

[QuebecOkie]

Absolutely. There should well be a compensation factor for military spouses. My uncle was in the air force and was moved around from base to base my aunt could not work until he finally made Colonel and was stationed at Trenton until he retired. All those years spent out of the work force didn't leave her much opportunity when she finally had a chance to get a job.

Yeah, I know a few spouses who enlisted because they couldn't really have a career of their own. It sort of pisses me off that the military doesn't help at all with the immigration stuff, either. I know, I know, we all want special treatment for something, but if you require people to live outside of the country for years at a time, there will be a fair number of them who return to Canada with foreign national spouses in tow. A pilot's wife we know almost got into a nasty tangle. She's Swiss, and her Canadian PR came through just a couple of months before their posting to the U.S. It would have been tremendously complicated had she not been able to land before the move. And seriously, my husband has security clearance. Seems there should be some box that clearance would check to speed up his approval as a sponsor, at least.

But meh. I fell for a military guy. I'm just glad that there are provisions in place that allow us to stay together, even if it is a huge a$$pain.

I hadn't thought a lot about the plight of foreign workers before the strike, but these "generous" benefit packages some talk about come at the cost of a lot of personal freedoms and with some pretty fair personal challenges.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Yeah, I know a few spouses who enlisted because they couldn't really have a career of their own. It sort of pisses me off that the military doesn't help at all with the immigration stuff, either. I know, I know, we all want special treatment for something, but if you require people to live outside of the country for years at a time, there will be a fair number of them who return to Canada with foreign national spouses in tow. A pilot's wife we know almost got into a nasty tangle. She's Swiss, and her Canadian PR came through just a couple of months before their posting to the U.S. It would have been tremendously complicated had she not been able to land before the move. And seriously, my husband has security clearance. Seems there should be some box that clearance would check to speed up his approval as a sponsor, at least.

But meh. I fell for a military guy. I'm just glad that there are provisions in place that allow us to stay together, even if it is a huge a$$pain.

I hadn't thought a lot about the plight of foreign workers before the strike, but these "generous" benefit packages some talk about come at the cost of a lot of personal freedoms and with some pretty fair personal challenges.

Agreed.

It seems far to easy to take what others sacrifice for us for granted.

 

[DGT]

The spouse thing is a tough one for people to be sure. My Uncle works for the UK Foreign Office and has been posted all over the world. Thankfully, his wife is in exactly the same line of work so they always get posted together! It's meant a tough life for their kids though, being shuffled from Continent to Continent. He's currently posted in Abuja, and his eldest daughter (my little cousin) couldn't really have a stable life off the compound there. She had to enroll in school back in Scotland which has been hard on her to be separate from her parents for so long.

I imagine Canadian VO's also face exactly this problem too.

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

http://foreignservicereality.com/myths-vs-facts-mythes-vs-faits/


This may help those of you still bent on blaming the FSW's for implementing their legal right to strike, understand the current conditions of PAFSO members.

 

[Cristinaett]

Hello!!

I'm living in Toronto right now but I'm venezuelan I apply for a student visa-permit on LA office on May 1st and they don't answer my emails. Its been more than 2 months and I need my passport to go to my country. Anyone knows how much are they taking to do this? i know about the strike but they had my passport for 2 months now and their page says is minimun 30 days!

Any information that you can give me will help!! I'm desperate!! HELP! :'(

Thanks!

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

http://globalnews.ca/video/688349/canadian-visa-backlog


A video from Global News.

It looks like the Government will cut its nose off to spite its face.

 

[DGT]

Indeed.

They'll probably try and justify it like this.

"This Union has damaged Canada's Economy! Unions are bad! Support our Union Transparency Bill".

Ironic when they won't be so transparent with their own expenses...

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Indeed.

They'll probably try and justify it like this.

"This Union has damaged Canada's Economy! Unions are bad! Support our Union Transparency Bill".

Ironic when they won't be so transparent with their own expenses...

Very true.

This is unlike their previous moves to legislate workers back to work rather quickly. I think they are not so eager to call Parliament back over the summer and will let things fester until September.

 

[costaudjoe]

Help to End PAFSO-APASE Strike Facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/groups/537316539660233/

 

[CanadianJeepGuy]

Help to End PAFSO-APASE Strike Facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/groups/537316539660233/

Great page.....joined.