Kudos to Toronto city councillor Adam Vaughan for exposing a practice of some of this fellow councillors to demand applicants for hotel construction permits make promises regarding unionization of future staff (National Post, 2007 02 13) .
Like Vaughan< I have no problems with hotel staff unionizing. In fact, the industry might be one of the few where employees – mostly immigrants with few job prospects, low wages, long hours – remain exploited and a union might be helpful (if more of the union revenues went in to helping members and fewer to padding union leaders compensation packets). But, as Vaughan notes, the city planning process is NOT the place to such social-economic issues. If NDP friendly councillors (who benefit from union campaign financing) demand such concessions from hotels, what will be next? Only developers who promise to rent solely to unionized employers will get permits? Residential condominiums will have to promise to employ unionized maintenance staff? Or, as Vaughan mentions, concessions granted to promise-making hoteliers will be sought by all developers to the detriment of the official plan.
Notwithstanding that the practice defended by councillor Pam McConnell and former councillor Olivia Chow borders on blackmail and warrants investigation by the city’s ethics commissioner (impotent as his terms of reference make him), all Torontonians should be offended and thankful for Vaughan's exposé.
Like Vaughan< I have no problems with hotel staff unionizing. In fact, the industry might be one of the few where employees – mostly immigrants with few job prospects, low wages, long hours – remain exploited and a union might be helpful (if more of the union revenues went in to helping members and fewer to padding union leaders compensation packets). But, as Vaughan notes, the city planning process is NOT the place to such social-economic issues. If NDP friendly councillors (who benefit from union campaign financing) demand such concessions from hotels, what will be next? Only developers who promise to rent solely to unionized employers will get permits? Residential condominiums will have to promise to employ unionized maintenance staff? Or, as Vaughan mentions, concessions granted to promise-making hoteliers will be sought by all developers to the detriment of the official plan.
Notwithstanding that the practice defended by councillor Pam McConnell and former councillor Olivia Chow borders on blackmail and warrants investigation by the city’s ethics commissioner (impotent as his terms of reference make him), all Torontonians should be offended and thankful for Vaughan's exposé.
