Heads up re: CanadaPost - full lockout / shutdown of operations tomorrow.

[lasersbee]

^^^^ Exactly......

Jerry

 

[AAlasers]

If I am ordering things from china, does it get to my door via Canada Post?
And I completely agree with you v33, qumefox, and lasersbee.

Thanks,

AAlasers

 

[JBTexas]

AAlasers; me too; I was going to ask that myself earlier... I've seen (I think?) stuff go from Asia to the USA / routed THRU Canada (?)

I have something at O-Like that I ordered last thursday (06/09/2011); it is still "In Processing"/has not shipped yet (?) as of a few minutes ago.

I'm concerned about it WHEN it ships IF it has to go thru Canada IF this strike is still going on.

 

[v33]

If shipped via Hong Kong Post to Canada (I bet they don't make $20/hr) it will come to you via Canada Post. Their tracking numbers even work on the Canada Post site once the item is in Canada. I don't know why a shipment destined for The States would come through Canada though.

I should also say that I think everyone deserves to earn a living wage and people should get fair pay for the work they do. However it does not make much sense that jobs that require no specialized skills or training, unless they involve back breaking HARD work, should pay twice as much as a job where someone has to get a diploma or various certifications and be regulated to do their job. For example a Canada Post carrier starts at almost $20/hr with pretty much no barrier for entry whereas a child care worker needs schooling, first aid, etc, and has a great deal more responsibility and starts around $12/hr. Maybe they should have done more labour market research but it doesn't change the fact that the pay isn't really appropriate considering that more work is required to get the job.

 

[chipdouglas]

yes, if it went hk post, it will transfer to your country of origins post. if it went private carrier then it will not make it to the post.

micahel.

 

[lasersbee]

I have the quick fix solution for the greedy Unionized Postal
workers.......................

Get rid of your Union and keep your union dues...
That will give you an instant raise.... every year...

Jerry

 

[AAlasers]

That's too bad. I have 3 or 4 packages coming from china as we speak. I wonder how long this will last?

AAlasers

 

[chipdouglas]

I have the quick fix solution for the greedy Unionized Postal
workers.......................

Get rid of your Union and keep your union dues...
That will give you an instant raise.... every year...

Jerry

haha, i've always thought it was that easy... glad there are others that share my vision lol!!!

michael.

 

[qumefox]

I'm not sure how it works in canada, but here in the US, it's governed by state laws. It's pretty much separated between 'right to work' and 'non-right to work' states. Most 'right to work' states.. which tend to be southern states, have laws on the books saying no one can deny an individual the right to work. This means unions can't legally 'lock down' businesses an prevent non-union workers from entering and working. It's why you don't see many unions in the south like you do in northern states. Most northern states are 'non-right to work' and unions pretty much bully people and it's a 'join or you don't work' situation.

Unions really are evil entities these days, and it has nothing to do with workers rights anymore. It's all about making people (union leaders) rich.

 

[JBTexas]

yea, (agree), but aside from unions...

This thing is an unfair BASIC component of our society (pretty much ALL societies).

And we are all guilty of supporting it.

Compare the wages;

Movie/Television Star -> Policeman
(entertainment versus protecting society)

Sports Star -> Teacher
(entertainment versus educating kids, improving society's future)

Politician -> Nurse
(overly glorified clerking duties, with a "minor" in institutionalized lying, versus helping the sick/injured) (MAJORITY of his/her time devoted to getting re-elected)
(I realize Doctors are generally paid highly IF they are successful, but think of the student loans that they have to pay off... often for years ...)

Game show host, Rock Star, etc.. -> Person in the military
(regardless of what you THINK about your country's current conflicts...)
(entertainment versus protects society, helps in disasters, etc.)
(NO risk (unless the rock star accidently catches his costume on fire from a stupid stunt or whatever) versus risks his/her life, often on a daily basis depending on world events)

(EDIT); Sorry about that... after thinking about it... personal rant and way off topic.

 

[lasersbee]

^^^^ What does that have to do with the Unionized Canadian
Postal workers... For what they do...they are overpaid... and
should be happy they have a job.....IMO..
They don't give a $h!t for anyone but them selves.... just like the
spoiled children they are...

Did you know that it is very difficult to get a Postal job in Canada...
That is because the Postal Workers are holding on to their cushy jobs...

Wouldn't you... if you got highly paid for dragging you A$$ all day with
benefits and pension galore...
I know I would...


Jerry

 

[Kmor2004]

ok, I apologize for making a hasted post, not getting all the facts, and opening a big can of wroms.

I just feel that even if all the unions in the world would be dissolved, and the argument of competion with 3rd world contries comes up, it would just mean that say the employees in the us, canada, where ever, would start having to give up a lot, and no I don't mean giving up $20+/hr to turn a wrench, I mean making just over MCdonalds wages for a job that should be in the $15/hr range all for the sake of the companys botom line under the guise of "competitive industry".

A lot of my arguement is mute when It comes to Canada since you guys have governemtn health care, and in this situation I don't know what all they are striking for aside from the usual we want more money.

How ever my argument about say a pension still holds 20 years ago or so you could get a pension even if you didn't work in a union (I think) now if you want to work towards a retireement you have to try and play the market, which means your dumping your money into other companuies and if they fail you lose, and if you're near retireement and that happens you are pretty much stuck working for the better part of the time that some younger person could have been working.

In defense of myself, just in case like I sad I'm a union member for the UAW, and yes I do work for $27.68/hr, and its to be a paint line utility, even though I previously was a troubleshooter diagnosing the fire control and guidance systems in tanks, do I need to be making this much no, I'd be fine making $16/hr just to cover all my bills, but if you look at any major company (BTW all my implications about companies are those of major ones, ones like Laserbees they're fine) they mostly care about profits and if they could they would be paying all of us (who work for them) the minimum the governement allows even for highly skilled and educated people.

Again I'm sorry for starting a flame war session on a topic that is impacting a lot of people negatively, and for not having all my facts straight first.

 

[lasersbee]

ok, I apologize for making a hasted post, not getting all the facts, and opening a big can of wroms.

I just feel that even if all the unions in the world would be dissolved, and the argument of competion with 3rd world contries comes up, it would just mean that say the employees in the us, canada, where ever, would start having to give up a lot, and no I don't mean giving up $20+/hr to turn a wrench, I mean making just over MCdonalds wages for a job that should be in the $15/hr range all for the sake of the companys botom line under the guise of "competitive industry".

A lot of my arguement is mute when It comes to Canada since you guys have governemtn health care, and in this situation I don't know what all they are striking for aside from the usual we want more money.

How ever my argument about say a pension still holds 20 years ago or so you could get a pension even if you didn't work in a union (I think) now if you want to work towards a retireement you have to try and play the market, which means your dumping your money into other companuies and if they fail you lose, and if you're near retireement and that happens you are pretty much stuck working for the better part of the time that some younger person could have been working.

In defense of myself, just in case like I sad I'm a union member for the UAW, and yes I do work for $27.68/hr, and its to be a paint line utility, even though I previously was a troubleshooter diagnosing the fire control and guidance systems in tanks, do I need to be making this much no, I'd be fine making $16/hr just to cover all my bills, but if you look at any major company (BTW all my implications about companies are those of major ones, ones like Laserbees they're fine) they mostly care about profits and if they could they would be paying all of us (who work for them) the minimum the governement allows even for highly skilled and educated people.

Again I'm sorry for starting a flame war session on a topic that is impacting a lot of people negatively, and for not having all my facts straight first.

No problem... thanks for seeing the whole picture...:beer:

I understand what you are saying...
But.. as yiu say... if you are fine and can live comfortably on
$16.00/hrs then why is someone paying you an extra $11.68
when they could use that saving to lower the price of the
finished product to better compete with the Asian influx of
cheap products...

The unions today will always ask for more money for their
workers and the workers will always strike for that until there
are no more sales because the product cost too much to make
including labour and you are out of a job... GM comes to mind...
I understand that extra $$ on the paycheck is a nice thing to
have... but in these economic times that may surely bite us all
in the butt..


Jerry

 

[rhd]

Whole bunch of comments in reply to the various posts I missed while at work this morning -

Qumefox:
Canada is a bit different than the US in terms of the Province(State)/Federal relationship. In Canada, the postal service is federal jurisdiction. The provinces can't legislate or govern them

JB:
Absurd comment. Most of your examples involved one side of the comparison being a position that is extremely luck-based. Luck is just that, luck.

Laserbee:
Actually, CanadaPost has one of the highest attrition levels for a company of its nature. It may or may not be hard to get a job there, but lots of people are leaving their CP jobs constantly. If it is hard to get a job, then it's only because despite how many people are constantly leaving, and even bigger flood of people want to sign on. And why the hell not, to make $20 an hour is higher than the starting wage for a lot of people with 4-year university degrees.

To everyone taking the union's side:
Here's the thing. Unions keep wages higher than the natural market rate. If there were no unions, and someone came to CP offering to do the same job for $16 instead of $20, CP would be free to employ them, at $16, which would represent an actual market-derived rate of income. With unions intervening, this is not possible. The wage stays artificially high at $20. Lots of people criticise this from an external perspective, but it's actually equally worthy of critique from the perspective of the actual worker. See, if labour costs are kept artificially high, above the natural market rate, then industries lose their ability to be competitive with their output products or services. If the industries lose their competitiveness, they decline, and those union jobs disappear. Is it better to work at a lower (but natural / market) wage, or to have no job at all?

To everyone NOT taking the union's side:
Congratulations. This is the only time I've been happy to see a conservative government in power. They're legislating the postal workers, BACK TO WORK

 

[jcranmer]

It's a shame Regan is dead. I'd suggest he make a trip to the north and take care or your postal system the way he did with our air traffic controllers way back when. Unions are worthless in just about everyway. I've been forced to be in my share and I would quit my job if I were ever forced to again.

 

[JBTexas]

^^^^ What does that have to do with the Unionized Canadian Postal workers...
Jerry

Yes, agreed... I edited my post, apologized, admitted it was off topic. Again, sorry... we ALL do this from time to time / sooner or later...

(RHD); (disagree... I see your point, but from the POV I was thinking of, I was "ranting" about a basic orientation that we take towards "who is valuable and who isn't" ... you just SEE IT as "luck based" ... but I didn't take the time to FULLY explain that philosophy or "where I was headed" ... anyway, dropping it, I don't feel that I can fully /clearly explain it here, and it is Off Topic)


ANYWAY....

My order status at O-Like as of a few minutes ago was still "processing"...

So I emailed them (at the website) and asked if it was too late to add "expediated shipping" / DHL / EMS; referenced my order number, order date, and PayPal receipt #....

... I checked, it was ~ 5 AM (or so) in China ...

... I will keep checking my email throughout the evening ...

Who knows... MAYBE it isn't too late to upgrade the shipping (from now on I will just use expedited shipping anyway, should have done that to begin with).