The Barron Blog

Thursday, 17 July 2003

Happy Birthday Irene
Mood:

celebratory
Today is my lovely wife's birthday. She orginally came from Newfoundland and you can find out more about her and that Canadian province by going to our personal website on the left: The Barron Family Pages.

Posted by qualteam at 5:25 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 18 July 2003 5:08 PM EDT

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Wednesday, 16 July 2003

Postal Dispute Update
Mood:

irritated
What's really going on? The teachers are getting 100% coverage on their health plan with no problem and the Nurses and Canadian Tire have opted for Liberty Life.

The postal workers and maybe even government workers are getting gouged by the Great-West Life monopoly. What is it with the postal insurance brokers who get these contracts? Kickbacks? Secret sweet deals? A technique to force CUPW on strike? That's not a bright idea.

Posted by qualteam at 4:15 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, 16 July 2003 4:25 PM EDT

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Tuesday, 15 July 2003

2003 Canadian Postal Dispute
Mood:

smelly
A visit to Canada Post's Web site tells you a lot about the forces that have pushed the crown corporation and its 48,000 workers to the brink of a strike, which could start Friday.

The focal point of the site is a message featuring continuously changing logos for some of the 65 businesses for which you can receive and pay your bills on-line through epost, an Internet alliance between Canada Post Corporation, Bank of Montreal and TELUS Corporation.

In a bid to stay relevant in a world changed forever by the revolution in information and communications technology, Canada Post has created new lines of business that compete directly with its old, and once dominant business, delivering the mail.

At the same time, the company has tried to keep its historical business viable through ongoing efforts to keep trimming costs. Accordingly, it has gone after employee benefit plans and a generous severance package in this negotiating round.

On the other side of the table, the workers are understandably reluctant to give up benefits they have fought for by making other concessions over the years.

Adding to the strain of these down-to-the-wire negotiations, both sides know that a strike would drive more customers away permanently. Canada Post still has not regained the mail volumes it enjoyed before the last nationwide strike in 1997.

There are no villains in this piece. The company and its workers are the natural victims of a technological advance that has given Canadians cheap alternatives to first-class mail.

Against that reality, compromise is the only outcome we can see that would not do lasting damage to both sides in this dispute.
-Toronto Star Editoral-July 15/03

Posted by qualteam at 5:04 PM EDT

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Monday, 14 July 2003

What Is The Definition Of CUPW?
Mood:

loud
The Canadian Union Of Postal Workers or a woman with huge hooters. If you know of another definition, please send it to me. S-Day is suppose to be July/18/03.

Posted by qualteam at 5:48 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 14 July 2003 5:51 PM EDT

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Sunday, 13 July 2003

Archived Homepage
Mood:

hug me
If you like visiting old and archived websites, try visiting our original homepage.Turn on the speakers and listen to Beethoven's "Fur Elsie".

Posted by qualteam at 8:24 PM EDT

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Saturday, 12 July 2003

Resolving The Postal Conflict
Mood:

a-ok
In my attempt to do something intelligent in the Canadian postal dispute, I sent our CUPW union leader, Deborah Bourque, the following letter:

Dear Sister Bourque,

I have brought this idea of "severance replacement" to your attention before. This would involve replacing the present "severance package" with "a profit/pension surplus sharing agreement." This would also be a incentive for CUPW members to be more productive in handling the mail.

This would be a bonus system that would include everyone as well as management.

Various team concepts and incentives could be created from the idea that all can profit from improved customer service.

Of course, if there's no profit or surplus, there's nothing to share.

But lets keep our mind on future prosperity and get the members involved with bonus incentives.

What do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Posted by qualteam at 10:09 AM EDT

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Friday, 11 July 2003

Movie Review 38: Night Of The Living Posties
Mood:

down
Crazed, striking postal zombies wreak havoc on scabs, supervisors and politicians across Canada. Laughable and disgusting horror flick has been done better elsewhere. Zero stars.

Posted by qualteam at 11:45 PM EDT

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Thursday, 10 July 2003

Not Well Known Facts About Canada
Mood:

bright
1.The US invaded Canada in 1812 and were pushed back.2.Our civil war was a bar fight that lasted a little over an hour.3.The Hudson's Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still around as the world's oldest company. 4.Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany.5.A Canadian invented Superman.6. We also have the world's longest undefended border with the US(The 49th parallel).7. We've been friends with the US since 1814 and we're each other's biggest trading partner.

Posted by qualteam at 6:01 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 10 July 2003 6:10 PM EDT

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Wednesday, 9 July 2003

Update On Canada Post Negotiations
Mood:

down
Here's the lastest on the Canada Post/CUPW confrontation.Who's going to blink first?

Posted by qualteam at 5:34 PM EDT

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Tuesday, 8 July 2003

Dumbest Limerick Of All Time Contest
Mood:

not sure
This is my entry into "The Dumbest Limerick Of All Time Contest". Please give me your vote.

I've never seen a purple cow,
I hope to never see one,
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see,
Than be one.

Posted by qualteam at 5:33 PM EDT

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