Right in the Centre: Bad method, bad outcome
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- Published on Friday, March 13, 2015
By Ken Waddell
The Banner
The day after Premier Greg Selinger salvaged his job as NDP party leader and premier, the Brandon Sun had an interesting line in their editorial. Speaking about leadership hopeful and second place candidate, Theresa Oswald, the Sun said, “Some very vocal union leaders and other influential voices in the party saw Oswald and the rest of the splinter group as acting out of self-interest rather than character.”
Now that’s a pretty rich statement as unions, by definition and function, act out of self interest.
The NDP party is the only party that mandates or legislates the involvement of unions in their process. It’s NDP law that the unions have delegates at the conventions, hundreds of them. So many delegates that, year after year, the unions can’t find enough union members who are also NDP members to fill those spots. The 2015 NDP convention was no exception with 300 to 400 delegate spots going unfilled because the unions couldn’t find enough members to take the time to drop in at Canad Inn Polo Park to cast a vote for leader.
The NDP party was touting that 2,200 delegates were eligible. Only about 1,700 actually showed up in person or by mail-in ballot. In fact, on Saturday, for the party president vote that elected Ovide Mercredi, only 562 delegates bothered to show up. That’s only about 25 per cent of the eligible delegates and 30 per cent of the ones who voted for leader.
When the vote took place for leader, Steve Ashton came in third and dropped off the ballot. Only 37 votes behind Selinger, Theresa Oswald looked like she might become Manitoba’s first woman premier and on International Womens Day, March 8. But it wasn’t to be. Most notably, Alex Forrest, head of the Union of Winnipeg Firefighters, lead his band of yellow-shirted brothers right across the hall, in front of Oswald and over to Selinger. Oswald and her people were very upset as Forrest, allegedly, had promised his support to Oswald on the second ballot. Forrest campaigned for Oswald in her own riding in past elections but due to his disagreement with paramedics association and Oswald’s apparent support of that group of health care workers, Forrest decided to go to Selinger.
The NDP should not have designated union delegates at the convention. They carry about one third of the votes. Very few, if any, NDP people stand up to the unions. It’s a roll over and play dead scenario.
If the Conservatives, either federally or provincially, had a corresponding legislated mandate to bring in groups that are perceived to be pro conservative into their fold, the NDP and the media would scream bloody murder. Can you imagine a leadership race or a political convention controlled by mandated delegates from The Manitoba Chamber of Commerce or the Canadian Federation of Independent Business? The outcry from the NDP and the left-leaning media (which is much of the media by the way) would be heard loud and clear.
The unions are losing their grip on the labour component in North America. Only the public service unions are growing, the private sector unions are not and there’s good reason. Time after time, the union bosses do what is best for the union rather than what’s best for the workers. More members equals more dollars for the headquarters, plain and simple.
As far as public service unions being involved in the political process, it’s a very bad situation. The Winnipeg Firefighters are public servants, civil service employees and there is no way they should be involved as a group in the political process. The optics and logic are bad. If they, as individuals, on their free time, want to work for a political candidate or party, that’s all well and good.
The NDP do some things right but on the union issue they are way off base. Ironically union involvement gave the NDP the worst possible outcome last weekend. They propped up Greg Selinger, who it would appear has the least chance or retaining power for their party.
