OT: Coronavirus XXIII: Keep it On Topic

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CantHaveTkachev

Cap Space > NHL players
Nov 30, 2004
52,253
34,314
St. OILbert, AB
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
 
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Little Fury

Registered User
Jun 21, 2006
18,137
7,442
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

Registered User
Nov 22, 2004
8,696
2,734
Edmonton
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.
 
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Raab

Registered User
Oct 6, 2007
18,085
2,778
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...
 
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Little Fury

Registered User
Jun 21, 2006
18,137
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“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.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,110
Islands in the stream.
$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.
 
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Little Fury

Registered User
Jun 21, 2006
18,137
7,442
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.
 

Skar

Registered User
Jul 2, 2016
1,464
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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.
 
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Little Fury

Registered User
Jun 21, 2006
18,137
7,442
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.
 

Nostradumbass

Divinity
Jan 1, 2007
5,050
4,770
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...
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,110
Islands in the stream.
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.
 
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Little Fury

Registered User
Jun 21, 2006
18,137
7,442
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

Registered User
Oct 6, 2007
18,085
2,778
“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.
 
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