C.U.P.E.

As the cities go into strike mode with CUPE I am reminded of when I was a C.U.P.E. member. When I was a nurse we did not have our own union (that has since changed). We belonged to CUPE which included ALL hospital workers from nurses, lab techs, X-Ray techs, housekeepers, interns, security, office clerks, kitchen staff. If you worked at the hospital you were under the same union. The only ones exempt from this were doctors and administrative.

It seemed we were always on strike. Not the nurses but all the other workers. And because we had to support them, we always had to picket. It drove me crazy. I worked my butt off for 3 years sacrificing my family time, money etc to put myself through school and worked hard at my job yet I would get a lousy 10 bucks a day picketing. I could have saved myself all that money and time and stayed home with my children for all the good I was doing on the sidewalk. The nurses worked with union leaders and with other cities/provinces who had separate unions for them to get our own and just after we moved to BC the unions changed so now all nurses had their own union. Sure wait till I leave!!

Keith belonged to the Carpernters Union when we lived there. Just after we married, the entire union went on strike.. all trades. Keith's particular area settled in a couple of weeks but the plumbers stayed on strike for NINE months! Keith couldn't cross the picket line. We weren't eligible for E.I. as he was employed. We weren't eligible for Social Welfare as he was employed. He picked up as much side jobs as he could doing renovations etc in homes etc but it just barely put food on the table. We lost our home that we had bought when we got married. We had used up all our savings making mortgage payments till there was no more and we had to turn the keys over. We couldn't even sell it as the interest rates had rocketed to 24% and no one was buying homes then.

It was a hard pill to swallow. Now as I listen to the news about the city workers going on strike it grates me. Once again we will be held "hostage" by the union. The job Keith is working on now is a city building which means he will not be able to cross the pickets even though he is not a union man. I support nurses when they go on strike as they deal with life and death situations every day. I support teachers going on strike as they teach my grandchildren. Everyone else? You are on your own. You burnt me twice. I won't fall for it a 3rd time.