Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!kevinf
From: kevinf@cognos.UUCP (The Amazing FERGATRON Revenue Generating Device)
Newsgroups: ont.general
Subject: Re: Sunday shopping
Summary: A Mugwump speaks out!
Message-ID: <7752@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 19 Dec 89 16:47:30 GMT
References: <656@crk56.bnr.ca> <7750@cognos.UUCP>
Reply-To: kevinf@cognos.UUCP (The Amazing FERGATRON Revenue Generating Device)
Distribution: ont
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 65

In article <656@crk56.bnr.ca> janick@crk56.bnr.ca (Janick Bergeron 1617964) writes:
>How can you justify, in a city like Ottawa or Toronto, where
>most of its work-force are white colar workers with similar
>working hours and often both men and women working, the forced
>closing of stores on Sundays ???

In article <7750@cognos.UUCP> gords@cognos.UUCP (Gord Smith) rants:
>How about letting the people who have to work in the retail stores have a life?
    [ ... personal tragic examples omitted ... ]
>I know some services like these are "essential", but shopping is not.
>Give these poor folks a break!  (No, I don't work in retail.)

I reply:
I will concede that those who will be required to work on Sunday are missing out
on the weekend activities. I will also concede (somewhat less graciously) that
such sacrifices are usually beyond their control. I hope that you will be
willing to concede that such sacrifices are already demanded in many services
that could hardly be deemed "essential". Computer Operations springs readily
to mind, as does the entire food and beverage industry. Anyone seeking
employment in these non-essential service industries does so fully aware that 
s/he may have to work all weekend, every weeekend to satisfy the requirements
of the job. S/he may not like it, but s/he accepts the 'sacrifice' voluntarily
to gain employment.

All of the conflict over Sunday shopping seems to revolve around the issue of
the welfare of the retail employees. Allow me to propose three solutions:

    1. Disallow Sunday Shopping -- no retail business may open on Sunday, with
          the exception of certain businesses by special permit. This is the 
          current law.
        PROS: the retail employee is protected from working a mandatory shift
          on Sunday (Gord's primary concern)
        CONS: the retail customer cannot shop on Sunday (Janick's concern)

    2. Allow Sunday Shopping -- any business that wants to conduct business
          on Sunday may do so without prosecution by the law.
        PROS: the retail customer can shop on Sunday
        CONS: the retail employee must work on Sunday

    3. Allow Sunday Shopping with constraints -- any business may conduct 
          business on Sunday, but it's employees must be given the option of
          working either Saturday or Sunday, but not forced to work both. The
          employee may voluntarily work both days.
        PROS: the retail customer can shop on Sunday;
              the retail employee gets at least one day/weekend off
        CONS: employers may have difficulty scheduling shifts;
              current industries are affected by this legislation

Okay, so none of them are perfect. Is there such a beast as a perfect solution?

Janick closes with:
>I hope sunday shopping will be an issue at the next provincial
>and municipal elections !!

Gord counters:
>So do I.  Nuke it.

I respond:
Why not provide a number of solutions and put each to a vote?
Why not let each municipality decide, as is done in High Park (a DRY riding)?
-- 
Kevin Ferguson      | UUCP: kevinf@cognos.UUCP         | VOICE: (613) 783-6818
Cognos Incorporated |  <or> ... mitel!sce!cognos!kevinf|   FAX: (613) 235-0809
SNAIL: 275 Slater St, Ottawa, Ontario CANADA  K1P 5H9  |  ICBM: 45 25N  75 42W
"Sh*t doesn't stick to me -- I earn revenue for this company." -- moi