OT: Coronavirus XXIII: Keep it On Topic

[CantHaveTkachev]

Providing the best services with efficiency and getting the best bang for tax payers bucks should be the focus of every government. A bloated and inefficient public service benefits no one but their unions.

having worked for the DND at CFB Edmonton for a few summers in the past...the amount of money tied up in needless paperwork and administration costs is off the charts
took weeks (no exaggeration) to be able to use a hammer there after all the "qualification tests" and waivers signed and passed through to human resources

 

[Little Fury]

Some of the services privatized are not exactly patient care.

In any case I don't know that the efficacy and reduced costs reasons for privatizing is altered just because this is Health Care.

A very bloated and inefficient health care service.

This is a recent Union deal.
Covenant Health – Misericordia and Villa Caritas

Ask yourself if food porters need to be making 18-21bucks an hour with a full benefit package, all kinds of wage bump ups for working different shifts, and pension and as many as 30 holiday days per year. I mean this is an absolutely unskilled position that requires no prerequisite beyond having a few references. This also typical of a closed shop kind of position. lots of people want a job like this so hundreds apply for each posting. In terms of supply and demand what that reflects is that this is an overpaid position with inordinate benefits which quite simply is not all required to attract *qualified* applicants.

$18 an hour is three bucks more than minimum wage. Wow, what a sweet gig.

 

[AM]

The problem is providing the best and most efficient services is not the mandate of private industry, whose sole obligation is to maximize profits.

“Sole obligation to maximize profit” obviously you have never been in business. Private business provides the services at the price the customer can pay. That’s how they persist.

 

[Raab]

I'm not going to get into the weeds but the decision to transfer spending from the public sector to the private was made before the pandemic; it's in fact the central project of this government.

The UCP policies are made by the members...

 

[Little Fury]

“Sole obligation to maximize profit” obviously you have never been in business. Private business provides the services at the price the customer can pay. That’s how they persist.

This is a meaningless statement, but ok.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

$18 an hour is three bucks more than minimum wage. Wow, what a sweet gig.

they get 3 weeks vacation to start and 18 days of sick leave A YEAR
yeah, it is a sweet gig

 

[Little Fury]

The UCP policies are made by the members...

So?

 

[Drivesaitl]

$18 an hour is three bucks more than minimum wage. Wow, what a sweet gig.

STARTING and check the benefits.

You're doubling down on missing empty nets. You don't get it at all.

Further, many unqualified positions, like a food porter position, were usurped into Union backed positions, Union representation which ought to have been for skill positions only, in the first place. A laundry worker, a food porter, they never should have been in the union.

 

[Nostradumbass]

$18 an hour is three bucks more than minimum wage. Wow, what a sweet gig.

Pension, shift differentials, excess holidays, etc.

 

[Little Fury]

they get 3 weeks vacation to start and 18 days of sick leave A YEAR
yeah, it is a sweet gig

So what? i don't understand this race to the bottom mentality so many Albertans have.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The problem is providing the best and most efficient services is not the mandate of unions, whose sole obligation is to maximize pay and benefits.

fixed

 

[Little Fury]

STARTING and check the benefits.

You're doubling down on missing empty nets. You don't get it at all.

Further, many unqualified positions, like a food porter position, were usurped into Union backed positions, which ought to have been for skill positions only, in the first place. A laundry worker, a food porter, they never should have been in the union.

All workers have the right to organize. Good for them.

 

[Nostradumbass]

So what? i don't understand this race to the bottom mentality so many Albertans have.

People pay for skilled labour. Unskilled labour that’s overpaid for the job requirements is a drain on public funds which are in short supply right now.

 

[nabob]

The problem is providing the best and most efficient services is not the mandate of private industry, whose sole obligation is to maximize profits.

So you’re saying is that you don’t want our tax dollars used in the most efficient way possible?

 

[Skar]

they get 3 weeks vacation to start and 18 days of sick leave A YEAR
yeah, it is a sweet gig

Sort of off topic, but I've brought this up before. Canada has one of the lowest vacation and days off in general out of all the developed countries. Somewhere around third last.

We should be seeking to increase vacation time for every other job, not reduce days off for positions which have somewhat decent time off. The same companies operating throughout Europe and Australia are providing weeks of additional vacation time.

 

[Drivesaitl]

All workers have the right to organize. Good for them.

I didn't cite that manifesto.

 

[Little Fury]

Providing the best and most efficient service is the way to maximize profits...

LOL no it's not. Driving down wages, wiping out benefits, that's how they roll.

Anyway keep in mind that we'll still be paying for services out our tax dollars and the bulk of the "efficiencies" will vanish into shareholders' pockets while services are unlikely to improve or save much money.

 

[nabob]

This is a meaningless statement, but ok.

Only meaningless if you fail to understand basic concepts.

 

[Nostradumbass]

LOL no it's not. Driving down wages, wiping out benefits, that's how they roll.

Anyway keep in mind that we'll still be paying for services out our tax dollars and the bulk of the "efficiencies" will vanish into shareholders' pockets while services are unlikely to improve or save much money.

The shareholders of the government are taxpayers...

 

[Little Fury]

I didn't cite that manifesto.

You should try reading it at least.

The ides that certain classes of labour should not be allowed to organize is disgusting.

 

[Drivesaitl]

So what? i don't understand this race to the bottom mentality so many Albertans have.

You apparently don't understand unwarranted expenditure, balance sheets, and any concept of fiscal prudency, cost management, further to budgets.

The bottom, as in bottom line. We pay for this excess. These are public funded positions.

 

[Little Fury]

People pay for skilled labour. Unskilled labour that’s overpaid for the job requirements is a drain on public funds which are in short supply right now.

And how pray do you determine that?

 

[Drivesaitl]

You should try reading it at least.

The ides that certain classes of labour should not be allowed to organize is disgusting.

The strawman is strong here. Never said anything about what is allowed. I mentioned that a closed shop union that historically ratified and represented skilled positions usurped a lot of unskilled positions, and if we're being clear and consistent a lot of factions and people within those skilled unions howl at the moon whenever that happens as they feel their union shop and bargaining is reduced by having lesser positions included.

 

[Little Fury]

You apparently don't understand unwarranted expenditure, balance sheets, and any concept of fiscal prudency, cost management, further to budgets.

The bottom, as in bottom line. We pay for this excess. These are public funded positions.

And where do you think the money to pay for privatized services comes from?

Also you seem to take it for granted that privatized services are more efficient and less expensive because they don't pay workers as well. That's an assumption without evidence.

 

[Raab]

“Sole obligation to maximize profit” obviously you have never been in business. Private business provides the services at the price the customer can pay. That’s how they persist.

Yep, and the ones that win do it by providing the best value to the customer. For example, I believe they want to privatize food services. Now ask anyone if hospital food is good food or not, and you'll most likely get its not very good. So the taxpayer is paying more for under average food. Imagine what could happen with real private business providing the food. You may actually see some nice salads on patient's plates.

I think the other big disadvantage that government has is they're not forced to think about new ideas to help increase value. Where as everyday, in my business at least, I'm looking to add value for my customers.

Now in saying that I have nothing against front line workers. Some of the hardest working people you'd ever meet. Management however is a different story and thats where they need to trim the fat so to speak. In order to do that privatization makes sense. In fact I'd be surprised if front line workers weren't better off after the transition, provided the government creates a competitive environment and doesn't sole source contract.