From: Jessica Davey-Quantick,
Yellowknife
Dear editor,
What SA国际影视传媒� and this bears repeating SA国际影视传媒� the absolute heck was Nancy VailSA国际影视传媒檚 column about (Notes from the Trail: Strike has a hidden price, Yellowknife, Feb. 22)?
Gee whiz, it sure is unfortunate when someone has to wait 15 minutes to access a dog park or swimming pool. But, you know, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of the point. Strike actions are not just a chance for a lovely solidarity singalong and stroll, especially in -40 C. A strike is meant to underline exactly why those workers are so important.
And clearly, itSA国际影视传媒檚 worked.
City workers do so much more than clear snow and decorate for the holidays SA国际影视传媒� they are the backbone of what keeps this town running. And they can barely afford to live here. The pay grids are on the union website; ISA国际影视传媒檓 shocked news outlets havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done any work to find out what the bottom of the pile are being paid. ISA国际影视传媒檓 ashamed to live in a city that doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 pay its own employees a living wage.
ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 what this is all about SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 not a greedy quibble, itSA国际影视传媒檚 not a chance to rehash old arguments or smugly declare we canSA国际影视传媒檛 afford taxes to go up to pay for this (they wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛, and even if they did, shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 we, as people who care about social justice, be willing to pay a little bit more if it means someone else can, I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know, afford to eat?).
ItSA国际影视传媒檚 certainly not a chance to invoke the ghost of Giant Mine, and villainize the people on the picket lines. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 irresponsible to egg on the public to turn on the strikers. They are not the problem here, the city is. The city needs to come back with a reasonable offer. The employees donSA国际影视传媒檛 want cake. They want a living wage for the work they do.
That is worth having to wait to go to the pool.
