July 19, 2009, 2 e-mails

M. W. wrote:

You may have to contact one of the unions to give you the names of the cases where the right to hold people has been upheld.

I've looked for that info from the Labour Board and Ministry of Labour website and cannot find individual cases.

A labour lawyer who specializes in collective bargaining would also have information about the cases that pertain to legal pickets.

My information comes from police websites based in different parts of the country. The information on these sites was for keeping people safe around picket lines, thus outlined some of the precedence based laws around picketing

My question is: WHY the heck isn't the media giving clear information about legal strikes, the right to picket, and legal hold times?

This is the only reference I have found regarding precedence based wait times is http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/655759 and it isn't explained or referenced at all.

So far, I read so many editorials and comments referring to the union's behavior as "illegal". I am so frustrated, if people had an understanding of their own rights, the rights of the picketers, the actual cost of services through the city, where their taxes go, the actual pay of different members of the union, there would not be so much animosity building.

Even if people disagree with the strike, understanding all citizens rights and responsibilities could alleviate a lot of negativity.

A little information could go a long way.

B. L. wrote:

The only thing that I could find was a ruling from the Windsor strike where they were limited to a delay of 15 minutes. And that delay was total, without stacking people at the front, so the total delay anyone would have is 15 mins, not a clock that starts for each person when they get to the front. Which makes sense. Even if 30 mins is the rule (and I have found no mention of that anywhere), making people wait for hours would still be illegal. The clock, one would think, would start ticking the moment I am held up by a picket. I think making that change in the delay tactics would go a long way to alleviating the tensions.