Some of our non-admin members, however, do have twitter accounts, and one had been tweeting - with an injury! - during the Saturday invasion. Here are some of her tweets.
AUPE kept insisting their invasion of our community was "friendly" and "peaceful."
What is that saying, about a lie repeated often enough?
AUPE, if people in the community feel threatened and trapped in their homes because a crowd showed up at their front doors and held and illegal block party/political rally, telling them you're being "friendly" or "peaceful" doesn't change that. Denying them their feelings is classic abuser behaviour.
The comment about a member trying to speak, but being cut off and drowned out, is typical of trying to have a "conversation" with anyone on the picket line (unless it's staged, of course). They don't dialogue. They don't listen. They interrupt, insult, mindlessly repeat scripted talking points, yell, intimidate and behave in a threatening manner, such as looming over someone (particularly distressing to people in wheelchairs) or swarming. A real conversation is simply not possible with this crowd.
As for the police, they did eventually come. Sort of. They drove through a few times. One police vehicle arrived around 1:30, which a lot of the invaders had already packed up and left, the drumming had stopped, the political rally was over, etc. Nothing was done.
What is frustrating is to be told by the police that we should take it to the labour board.
with lots of noise and yelling and chanting, trespassing on private property, blocking the street, causing people to fear leaving their own homes, even causing distress to our pets. These are things that should fall under police jurisdiction.
Laws should not be suspended because someone has slapped the label of "labour dispute" or "picket line" on their activities.
Retaliation is all it is, really.
Artspace members have stood up to AUPE for 100 days. Our community, most of whom have no say in the labour dispute, have been targeted for abusive misconduct while they picket our private homes.
They try to blame SAIL for their actions. Try to turn us against each other. Try to tell us that if only SAIL would do what they want, give them what they want, they would go away (sounds like extortion, doesn't it?).
They threaten us with increased picketer misconduct if SAIL doesn't do what they demand, and when they don't get their way, the retaliate against our entire community. Not even our neighbours can escape the effects.
AUPE tries to create this image of SAIL being this big, bad, oppressive company that has mistreated its employees and oppressed those poor, immigrant women.
What they forget is that SAIL is a volunteer board of Artspace members.
They are not some faceless corporation or distant management.
They are our friends. Our neighbours.
They are people we can talk to at any time.
We are on the inside of all this.
Fully informed.
Fully aware.
AUPE's attempts to control the image of what's happening here might work on their members who know only what AUPE tells them.
It won't work on those of us who are in the middle of it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment