CUPE Local 79 president Tim Maguire has spoken on the CBC about “extra duties” — potentially thousands of different things — that may become forbidden work as his members go on a work-to-rule campaign They include, he says, things like shovelling the snow or fixing a broken photocopier. Mr Maguire says: “They will still get paid, but they won’t be working for free.” Taxpayers will surely agree that CUPE workers are getting paid. Work-to-rule is a charade: A series of undefined but limitless tasks that members of the public supposedly wont notice (but maybe they will) and either way are apparently important enough for the union to go on strike about. The reality is that the secret negotiations about “extra duties” deal with ever more carefully-defined job descriptions. Maybe an employee can shovel snow in the playground but not the walkway. A different employee would be required for that. A cheeky example maybe but it makes the City’s point that it wishes to keep some flexibility in the workplace. Tell us we’re wrong. CBC
