I am a small businessman as were both of my parents, so I am generally distrustful of unions. Some modern companies such as Amazon deserve to have a strong union shoved down their corporate throats. But most companies, especially small ones, are fairly decent towards their employees knowing they can lose good but unhappy employees, as they are free to go elsewhere. But civil service unions have always seemed to be in a class of their own.

I detest most job strike action but especially the civil service type. When front line public service workers go on strike such as bus drivers, or mail carriers, it is the general public that is harmed the most. And to make it even worse for the workers and the public, the union executive continue to collect their large full paycheques while they expect their workers on the picket line to accept measily strike pay.

I think it is overdue that public service unions in this country are cut down to size. Not decertified necessarily but not coddled as they are now.

I have worked hard in low paid professions all of my life, as many grown adults are doing for all of their working lives. Many people work very hard for low wages and have very little job security and no fat pension when, or even if, they ever retire. I am very lucky to be very healthy still, into my sixties, and won't and can't retire until I am well into my seventies or beyond. I accept this and am fine with it. But it doesn't mean I am fine with seeing people who haven't worked near as hard or for as long hours as many people I have worked with, get a comfortable pension before the normal retirement age.

Teachers in this province are now retiring on average at the young age of 59 years old, with a full pension. I know they don't have an easy job but it isn't terribly difficult either. They get very good pay and ten weeks off every year. To start their career. Two weeks off is the normal vacation time for the rest of us when we first start a new job.

The Ontario teachers pension fund now has 250 billion dollars in assets. I think that bloated pension fund should feel compelled to help invest back into the education system that made them so rich. Interest free loans to cover the 12.7 billion dollar school repair deficit to start with.

The teachers now have a very sweet retirement system based on 85. A combination of your age and years worked. That is why so many are retiring so early. They should be staying well into their sixties. The school boards are losing their most experienced teachers and having to replace them with young rookies.

I would like to see that 85 number be raised by one every year. So that in ten years it is 95. Much more realistic compared to the private sector's retirement situation. Or cap it at five years more. Current teachers would only have to work two and a half years longer. I realize this won't happen. But it should. And would save the province billions of dollars, and help retain our most experienced teachers.

There are many other ways to save us billions from many other public sectors. Politicians don't want to battle these powerful groups as they are large voting blocks. But the reality is that most of us in the private sector, except family members of these groups, would be much in favour of such decisive cost saving action.