The Big Wigs were out at Artspace again, today (July 22, 2013). Likely has something to do with the negotiations tomorrow, but who knows? Perhaps, at some point, they'll figure out that they are targeting people who have nothing to do with these negotiations, and are just members of a community, trying to live their lives - and are sending that message through banners and signs.
I doubt it, though. They still can't seem to wrap their brains around the concept of private property. Oh, sure, the picketers seem to be staying away from their usual camp site under the tree these days - more likely because the weather is cooler, than out of any respect for private property. Instead, they're lounging all over the West garden bed (well... there was the one woman in a camp chair, getting a massage from another who was sitting on the raised bed wall. Tough life, picketing. Hey, AUPE members, did you know your dues are paying for picketers to hang out on private property and give each other massages, in between harassing people who have nothing to do with what they are supposedly there for?). While occasionally sitting or leaning on the raised bed walls isn't a problem, they were not designed to be sat on or leaned against a lot. It puts stress in the wrong areas, and the beams will start coming apart at the joins.
Well, I suppose we can always bill them for any damage they do. It'd be much nicer if they would pay attention to the Private Property signs all over, and actually stick to the public sidewalk. But then, they regularly trespass through the neighbouring townhouses, too, as a couple of them were seen doing again today.
I wonder how they would like it if a bunch of hooligans showed up at their homes, treated their yards and gardens as if they owned them them, hung out all day and verbally harassed them every time they tried to go about their business? I doubt they'd like it, but they have no problem doing it to Artspace members.
Oh, and this may be a difficult concept to understand, but when people make it clear that they do NOT want you to talk to them, and you continue to engage them anyhow, that is harassment. Especially when you use their names (or what you think are their names) and pretend you know them. That goes beyond simple harassment and starts to cross over into the creepy stalker territory. Stop it.
Talking to some of our neighbours about picketer behaviour, it is really bizarre how they target individuals. It's illogical. For example, they targeted people they discovered belong to other unions for extra abuse, blocking them extra long, swarming their vehicles, verbally abusing them, yelling nasties at their children, etc. all because these Artspace members happen to belong to other unions.
Just what do they think these members are supposed to do? Not cross the picket line? They live here. They have nothing to do with SAIL. They have nothing to do with negotiations. They aren't on any boards. They have no say at all when it comes to how much funding SAIL is allotted, or contracts or anything. So why give them such an extra hard time? Because they happen to live at Artspace and happen to belong to another union? If they expect these members to be allies to support them because they belong to other unions, they're failing miserably and alienating them, instead, just as they have alienated other Artspace members who would otherwise have supported the care staff.
Then there are the racist comments aimed at the security staff and replacement workers. How can AUPE picketers keep playing the immigrant/racism card in "defense" the poor, 'oppressed' care staff (who continue to be a rare sight on the picket line), while yelling out racist comments at the security staff and replacement workers?
It makes no sense.
But then, nothing about this strike has ever made any sense.
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