TTC on strike

[dreamblade]

Posted this to my blog, but still need to vent

Unions should have been abolished long ago, when work standards codes were indroduced to law. All they are are now is an impediment to efficiency, and a self-serving mafia.

The Police Brotherhood in Quebec, the Teamsters, the union of maintenance workers at my work (who won't allow us to replace the 27in tv's that died for new ones so that we can see our group stats and service levels), I have yet to hear of one good thing a union has achieved in the last 25 years.

So fuck you, TTC union, fuck you, Kinnear, and fuck any of the overpaid, fat-assed joystick handlers and cashiers who are bitching about being underpaid at 60k+, while I, with 2 degrees, 3 certifications (soon to be 5), have to struggle to get mid-40's.

If I hear a TTC employee bitch about their pay and work conditions near me, I will punch their teeth out.

 

[Esco!]

Never mind the wage increase, they ought to strike over their ugly-ass red jackets alone.

 

[Dewalt]

Hey Stinky Nuts

Forget about being a teacher, work for the TTC - they got offered 3x as much as the teacher's union did. Plus they make more.

Amazing that there is more emphasis placed on transit monkies than education in this city.


Rubmiester: I agree NYC has a great transit system and I actually enjoy it. Especially the pass cards you buy that work on the subway, on the bus - anywhere you are transferring to. But Toronto won't ever see a system like that come to pass, it is too small minded. Look at the fuss it kicked up when they upgraded the Museum - you would have thought the sky was falling. Mind you I love Toronto but I also love spending time in cities that are foreward thinking and know how to plan properly. Hell, we can't even get the waterfront plan down to something as green as " a park for people" - nope, they are going to build condos within 60' of the water's edge.

Sheesh.

 

[VinnyBuff]

TTC bus drivers get upwards of $26/hour, when in reality they should be getting paid $12/hour based on their education and skill level, and they have the audacity to complain and strike everytime they re-negotiate a new contract?

Wow, just wow.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Taxi cabs are sure making lots of $$

David Miller went to see an escort today.

 

[Don]

Just saw Howard Hampton tap dance around the whole issue on city TV. Stuck between trying to support his base (unions) and not get all the TTC riders pissed at him. Sounds like the NDP might try to block a "back to work" legistation and he wouldn't even say the TTC was wrong to stike at midnight. He will not criticize the union one iota. NDP FUCKERS!!!!

 

[landscaper]

Remember what Ronald Regan did to the striking air traffic controllers in the USA?

Unfortunatly that was an illegal strike he could and did fire them for strikeing, oh by the way transport canada hired a bunch of them to staff our air traffic system

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Now MOST people going to the Raps game goto find a ride!

 

[S.C. Joe]

The 48 hours notice was not given because last week before the last minute deal drivers were being threatned and assaulted. The union did not want to get any other drivers assaulted over the weekend if they knew we were walking off the job monday.
I do think my union is dumb for what they have just done. This comes down to the maintnace side not having the right language in the contract to make sure jobs would not be contracted out. which with all these new buses they feared the company that made the buses were going to get the maintnace work down the road and they would be out of jobs. All they needed to do was stay at the table longer last week to make sure the proper language was included and we would not be striking now.
The TTC managment likes to screw us when it comes to language in contracts. We are still fighting for our job evaluations which we won 6 years ago. The TTC is using every stop to not give it to us. All other city workers received this but not us because of the contract language from 6 years ago, they found a loophole to delay it.
Well only thing good about this is now maybe we will be declared a essential service which we are. To all those that miss work today I am sorry. I had nothing but positive feedback from my regular customers all week that they were on our side. Somehow I think that will not be the case anymore. But we must stand together and fight for our jobs as if they contract out maintnace jobs it would just be a matter of time before they tried same with drivers and other workers.

Note, theres nothing about the raise not be good enough, I believe the subcontracting jobs out of the union is what did it.

If so, glad to see all union bothers sticking together for each other

 

[dreamblade]

Note, theres nothing about the raise not be good enough, I believe the subcontracting jobs out of the union is what did it.

If so, glad to see all union bothers sticking together for each other

Bullshit! If TTC maintenance doesn't do a good enough job, management should have every right to look elsewhere for a better deal. It's what we do in the hobby and as consumers, yet these ingrates are protected. Why?

I know quite a few excellent, non-unionised mechanics who would love the work.

 

[Steve Stifler]

Lousy TTC striking M'Frs 'know' they are in the wrong for having this strike and instigating the way that they did.

Most people when in strike put up pickets at their respective headquarters, place of work to demonstrate their point.

So why this morning (on my way to see Cookie at TOG!!!) were their no pickets anywhere?!?!
Even the media reported no union workers anywhere to be seen.

It's cos they're a bunch of spineless a-holes afraid to face the wrath of loyal bus riders everywhere, who for pretty much this might've been the last straw.
Like c'mon give me an f'n break....strike mandate at Midnight?!!??!
Why not finish your lousy shits (shifts) at 2:30pm before pulling your stunt.

'Oh but its to protect the safety of our bus drivers, who were subject to threats and stuff from riders last weekend!'.
Yo asswholes.....chances are real good the drivers got yelled at cos of something they started and not so the riders.
I can relate BIG TIME that I can absolutely care less and about how much $$$ the TTC workers get. Hey, its probably justified. But when you start treating riders like second class citizens, who just are simply getting on the bus for a ride and nothing more. I'm talking about those drivers especially the ones with the attitude, that they subject innocent riders to. All we ask is to be treated with respect. But I tell ya, when your service sucks and you give riders a hard enough time, you will get backlash. And I can guarantee, no I can Guara-dam-tee that for every backlash those drivers got last weekend, it was probably instigated prior by the bus drivers themselves.
I asked a bus driver if the bus I was getting onto was an Express bus.
He stares blankly ahead.
I ask him again.
And this time he rolls his eyes & says thats what it says on the sign on the front.
"Uh no it didn't, and YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE!" I tell him.
Is that the kind of wha wha wha 'abuse' for which they are referring to?
Sorry guys.
Totally justified, and I'd do it again.

Thank god Miller has the pills to call up Dalton and legislate the fuggers back to work!
Let the union and commission figure this out shiat out themselves and leave the hell the rest of us alone.

p.s. You'd feel the same f'n way I would cos traffic was a bitch and I ended up missing my appointment with Cookie!!

F'rs!!

 

[usher14]

Stop the BS!!!!

IMO.Their are people that work minimum wage and would love to work for more money. Just give the job to the people that can appreciate their jobs and stop the BS. In the end the people get screwed. Another increase in the fare ....again!!!!

 

[genie888]

strike 4 ever...

TTC service in T.O sucks big time... a under ground service that only runs north and south, east and west.. like other big cities in the world Toronto is so mickey mouse in public transit... never on time, rude operators, and open at 9:00am on Sundays.. like what the F----K.. how about those that have to be at work early on Sundays..


Go Private

 

[S.C. Joe]

They are not picketing ? The UAW requires workers to picket everyday in order to receive strike pay-which is only about half of reg. pay. The TTC workers should be outside picketing, thats for sure.-I think they should have waited a week for a new contract to be written.


As for unions in general...

How I see it, is theres not ENOUGH unions. Thats why some workers with a college degree don't earn as much pay-they are getting screwed because they don't have a union.

Don't get mad at the union workers, get upset that more workers don't demand unions to represent them.

 

[dreamblade]

TTC service in T.O sucks big time... a under ground service that only runs north and south, east and west.. like other big cities in the world Toronto is so mickey mouse in public transit... never on time, rude operators, and open at 9:00am on Sundays.. like what the F----K.. how about those that have to be at work early on Sundays..


Go Private

When I moved here 3 years ago, I was shocked about the 9am sunday thing. I mean that would be ok back in the 70's, when most things were actually closed on "the day of our lord"*

Why is the TTC not classified as an essential service in the busiest metropolitan in Canada, is mindboggling to me.

























*Elvis

 

[dreamblade]

As for unions in general...

How I see it, is theres not ENOUGH unions. Thats why some workers with a college degree don't earn as much pay-they are getting screwed because they don't have a union.

Don't get mad at the union workers, get upset that more workers don't demand unions to represent them.

I can honestly say that I'm earning enough for what I do. My job requires mental agility, a thorough knowledge of 2 separate technical fields, decent knowledge of IT in general, as well as soft skill to handle clients on the phone. I get a small premium for being bilingual as well. I do sometimes feel underused, as I have other skills but for what I actually do, my pay and benefits are good.

I do not earn nearly as much as that dude in the booth that gives change safely, BEHIND BULLETPROOF GLASS. Does that seem fair?

Unions prevent me from changing a freakin lightbulb at the office, because I'm not trained to do so. That's seriously screwed up!

Unions are completely unnecessary, at least here in Canada, as I said before. We have work standards garanteed by law, making unions obsolete. The only thing unions have done here in the last 25 years (that's as far as I remember) is bully the government to increase pay and/or decrease level of service for already cushy jobs.

Your argument that there should be more unions would only garantee rise in inflation and cost of living.

 

[Don]

How I see it, is theres not ENOUGH unions.

Yes that is what we need... communism... NOT

 

[AngelsOfToronto]

Now MOST people going to the Raps game goto find a ride!

use go transit, and i have to use it for the rock game tomorrow

 

[A.J. Raven]

Strong-armed

I think this strike was just a way to strong-arm the city, frankly. I watch the news every day and not one incident was reported these past few weeks about a TTC employee being attacked by the public. Did I miss something? And at the risk of sounding callous, union action can be dangerous sometimes - goes with the territory. We all know about Hoffa & Norma Rae. It isn't right, but it happens.

I know the concensus about Mike Harris is that he was a terrible Primier, and so on. I have heard it all. But there was one incicdent that occured that I thought was deplorable, and in my view was a political move if there ever was one. It reminds me a great deal of this little stunt the TTC has pulled. Maybe some of you remember that during the re-structuring of the hospitals a man died in the hallway of St. Michaels (pretty sure it was St. Mikes), and the hospital groups claimed that because this man could not get a bed, since Mike Harris was taking beds away from hospitals, that was why he died. Everyone in the public jumped on this and of course blamed the Harris government. But I kept thinking, this man was IN the hospital. So why was he being ignored if he was already there. You can't tell me they couldn't treat him because there wasn't a bed. Thats bull. They could have laid him on a floor, on sheets, on a chair... I have had some difficulty trusting the hospitals in this city since.

Now, I am not defending Mike Harris with this post, and that situation is long over (not so much for the family of the man that died). I am simply pointing out that while one side may not be doing what is best overall, and the other side may be righteous in their position, I have great difficulty supporting the righteous position when they resort to tactics that endanger people to make their own political point & to achieve their agenda.

The TTC striking, with 2 hours notice, at midnight on a Friday night was a horrible thing to do. I would be curious to know how many workers were stranded - especially those who work on the edges of the city where it is more desolate or industrial; how many guys had to walk home from being out and possibly got mugged; how many women were stranded and ended up in precarious positions last night? School just ended and many kids have been out celebrating the arrival of summer & graduation - how many of them were stranded, scared and had no place to go?

I live downtown, have a bicycle and will choose the GO Transit for my destinations that are further than I can ride. I was a supporter of the TTC & it's Union workers until last night.

 

[drrogers]

Why will it take till Sunday to negotiate these guys back to work? - then 2 days to get the system up and running again - why didn't the lazy do nothing legistlature have the legislation ready in the event there was a strike. Well, Thankfully this is not something that you can blame the Jews for - it is their bacon munching bretherin that will have all you guys gumbooting it to work.