The Auto-Sector collapse: McGuinty's worst nightmare

Well, I never thought it would be possible for the CAW to find someone worse than Buzz Hardgrove to head up their union. Well folks, I must confess... I was wrong.

Ken Lewenza has, from Day One on the job, proven again and again that he really doesn't have a CLUE how the real world works. With this economic crisis impacting us on every side, he dug in his heels right away and has refused to consider the prospect of concessions from his union membership. At a time when tens of thousands of people are losing their jobs, there are plenty of folks in our country who'd GLADLY take a job at HALF the value of the current benefit package the CAW's membership are getting.

But there's an interesting political side effect going on that no one has really addressed yet. With the CAW digging in their heels, anyone from the political realm who doesn't support their perspective is starting to feel their wrath. And one individual who's starting to feel the heat is our very own Premier, Dalton McGuinty. From CTV the other day...

"CAW 'furious' at Ontario over pensions, Lewenza says"

"I can't even suggest to you how furious we are as an organization to suggest that our retirees won't be treated with decency and respect during this crisis. What good is a pension guarantee fund if it's not there when you need it?"

The comments follow those of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who on Wednesday warned that his government's pension guarantee fund is too small to help out retired autoworkers in the event one of the Detroit Three goes under.
[...]
Lewenza said the union will hold a "massive" protest at the Ontario legislature next week in response to McGuinty's comments that Ontario's pension-guarantee fund is not enough to cover pensions.

The protest will be held on April 23 on the grounds of the legislature. Lewenza urged all retirees to come out and show their support.

A massive union protest at Queen's Park? When was the last time we saw one of those? Oh, that's right... it was sometime before the current Liberal government was voted into office.

This Liberal government was voted into power largely, though not exclusively, by organized labour. The Liberals spent a lot of time and effort courting their votes during the Harris era, stealing their support from the NDP, and winning support from many of the union membership who had quietly supported the Tories.

So now, perhaps you can see why this current situation is an absolute nightmare for Premier Dalton McGuinty. The union vote that they've spent so much time and energy courting is now seeking to cash in their chips, expecting the Liberals to get their back, at a time when the Provincial bank is broke. So naturally, the CAW is furious, as Ken Lewenza himself has said in that CTV article. I mean, let's face it... you don't see massive union protests at Queen's Park when everything is peachy keen, do you?

In case you've forgotten, the unions provided the Ontario Liberals with an unofficial "fifth column" during the 2007 election. To lose them would be a potentially devastating blow to Mr. McGuinty's 2011 bid for re-election.