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TTC going on strike at midnight . (pg. 6)
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| musicsnob_NOT |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Jay - the problem is that this strike isn't illegal. If the TTC were properly classified as an essential service, then it would be illegal.
That's what McGuinty should be doing (though I somehow doubt he'll have the stones to go that far). If that happened, and they still continued to strike, only then could these people be fired. |
Exactly...but it should have been done ages ago. It should have been done the day they held that ILLEGAL strike back in 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_TTC_wildcat_strike
Seriously...we should have fired each and everyone of them then. Bring their pay in line with what it is worth ($12 for a ticket collecter..or better yet automate them like everywhere else) and then use the money to make our system better.
As someone who has dealt with the TTC on a business level they are not even close to living in reality. |
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| monishb |
| either way this matter is going to get resolved by negotiations or by forceful means from the legislation. so i am not too worried for the meantime i can car pool with friends from work. but impossible if you have other plans lined up. |
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| dEsidEL |
many in the public are livid, and rightfully so.. more updates on the fallout ..
| quote: |
TTC strike leaves riders furious, frustrated
April 26, 2008
Emily Mathieu, Scott Simmie, Noor Javed and Prithi Yelaja
Staff Reporters
A midnight strike by the TTC caught many people off guard, some showing up early this morning expecting a train, bus or streetcar only to find the lines abandoned.
Last night, clubgoers poured out of bars when news of the strike spread.
"No way, no way," Jorge Bayona, out with friends at Yonge-Dundas Square, said at 11:40 pm. "You're kidding me. We live an hour away."
The shock on his face escalated to panic, and he and his friends started trying to conjure up contingency plans.
Danielle Consett, 25, also expressed anger at the TTC's union for voting against the tentative agreement – in favour of a last-minute strike.
"It's a danger to society," she said. "It's selfish. We have rights, too. We have the right to know about a strike 48 hours in advance."
In subways, an announcement was made at 11:23 p.m. telling ticket collectors over their private intercom that service would be shutting down at midnight.
A public announcement didn't start until almost 11:30 p.m.
Many people showed up this morning at bus stops and subway stations on their way to work unaware there was a strike.
"It's closed?" asked Dora Loyuk, 27, watching someone try to open doors at College. "I had no clue..."
Loyuk was heading to work in the Richmond and Peter Sts. area. She said it will take her about a half an hour to walk.
"I'm going to have to call in and say there is no subway today. If they can give me more time to walk, then that's fine." p>At the Pape station, commuters who had not yet learned of the strike were stunned to find the doors locked.
"They should be shot," said one man, apparently stranded from reaching his job. "Some people have to work, you know," he said.
At the corner of Spadina Ave. and Bloor St. around 5:45 a.m., people stood in small clusters, drinking coffee and muttering about the TTC strike that took the city by surprise at midnight..
“Every derogatory English word you can think of does not properly describe the TTC,” said Steve Mills, standing outside a Tim Hortons coffee.
Mills walked from his home in Don Mills to get to work today. It took him an hour and 20 minutes to get downtown. Mill’s job is delivering flyers.
“So I’m going to be walking all day,” he said.
Mills said the TTC should not be allowed to go on strike.
“The needs of many should outweigh the needs of the few,” he said. “It’s going to cripple the city.”
Others had to find alternative means of transportation to get to work today.
"Not impressed," said Lynda McPherson. "I volunteered to come into work today to help out and I live in Mississauga."
McPherson only found out about the strike as she was preparing to leave for work. She had to drive in.
"It's going to cost me $15 for parking and $10 for gas at least."
McPherson said TTC workers already make too much money and the union doesn't serve them well.
"Sixty-five per cent is not a huge margin for approval," she said. "The union is out to serve themselves."
“Lucky I rented a car,” said Gordon Lenko, visiting from Montreal.
Lenko and his wife plan to spend the day in Hamilton, but have been using the TTC to get around the city the last couple of days. There are also acts of vandalism taking place as riders furious over the strike send a message to TTC workers.
At Union Station, someone spray-painted the steel doors of the TTC entrance at Bay and Front.
"If you want $30/hr," reads the blue spray paint, "go to university." Beneath it was crude drawing of a penis.
Similar vandalism, apparently by the person, marred the glass wall of a bus stop just a few metres away.
The line of taxis moved steadily as commuters denied 'The Better Way' chose what was for many the only way.
One woman, a visitor from Barrie who'd come to Toronto for an Anne Murray concert the previous night, was trying to get up to Yorkdale Mall to retrieve her car.
She negotiated a rate of $35 and climbed in. She wasn't happy about it.
Several people who spoke with the Star were angry there had not been more notice about the strike. One pointed out the average TTC worker already earns far more than he does and said he'd be happy to take a TTC job at existing wages. Even late this morning, news of the strike came as a shock to people trying to go about their day.
"I was waiting for the bus for 20 minutes said Kannan Subbu, standing at the bus stop with wife Kanchana and son Nirmalram, age 6. The frustrated father said last week he was closely watching strike discussions. "Last week we were prepared...," he said. "I promised my son I was going to take him to the zoo," he said. The TTC is his family's only method of transportation. "Interruption of such service with no notice is totally unacceptable."
Some TTC workers, on the job last night, expressed concern about their safety when asking people to leave the station, evident by the announcement heard at many stations:
“If you’re having difficulty closing your station, let us know,” said a ticket collector, who didn’t want to give her name.
One man, who tried to get on a southbound train after they had just closed off the service about 11:50 p.m., starting cursing at her.
“We have to stick together,” the ticket collector said. “If they are going to contract out with the maintenance people, where does it end?”
But other TTC workers were less sympathetic.
“It’s not right to do it at midnight, we should just shut down at 2:30 at the end of service,” said Wayne Cook, ticket collector at Ossington, swarmed by confused commuters. “Bob Kinnear has a lot to answer for, for the way he’s handled things.”
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source:
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/418782
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| urban_legend |
| quote: | Originally posted by Pett
beat it.
we DO work for the public.
and do a damn fine job regardless of how thankful (or not) you are.
For the record i don't approve of the Unions hasty decision. Obviously they should have gone back to the table before this bull.
What i am standing up for is the current conception that drivers are public enemy #1
Taking it out on individual workers is not fair and is not deserved.
I don't think i need to go into details because you've rode the buses and seen the . |
I was with you until last night.
I was on the way Shay and Kal's wedding shin dig last night, not knowing the strike was looming. The bus pulls up to the stop with the "Out Of Service" sign on. We get on the bus and informed the bus driver that his overhead sign read what it did but he brushed it off. He let us pay and didnt say a thing about the upcoming events, all he mentioned was that this was the last pick up and he was going directly to the station. Didnt think too much about it, just that it was a lil sketchy. We get to the station, proceed to the subway and wait until one TTC worker comes down and tells everyone that the TTC was now on strike. He said it with the biggest smile on his face like he was happy with the situation and the looks of disappointment on our faces. He smirkingly told us its too bad about your luck.
No refund was offered and when we inquired about it at the ticket booth we were refused.
The way we were treated makes me never want to use the service again. I just moved to the city and I can take the TTC to work. For the same price I can park. I will now be driving to work.
I dont know when it was announced but I had no prior knowledge, I thought their deadline was Monday? Thats my issue no public warning, not early enough in my opinion, this was done in the wrong way.
They should be legislated back to work. They have crippled the city, a city they call home. If your not happy with your job get a new one!!! I understand the issues, but never would I vote yes and walk off the job if I worked for what I think is an essential service. |
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| UmmiE |
| quote: | Originally posted by musicsnob_NOT
Fire them all |
+ 1
If they are still not happy with what they have,they will never be in the future as well.
Fire them so that unemployment levels would move a little bit and have new and fresh people who would want to make a difference.....not just ask for more and more and more. |
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| urban_legend |
| quote: | Originally posted by musicsnob_NOT
Fire them all |
everyone that voted yes to walk off I would. |
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| rabbitjoker |
We DO NOT want TTC to be an essential service.
Don't you see - making them an essential service is playing right into their plans?
Sure - as an essential service they will lose the right to strike, but the arbitrated deals they will get will be vastly superior than anything they can negotiate themselves.
TTC union management are not exactly brilliant unionist leaders. Bob Kinnear is not impressive at all and the team running ATU 113 are the near equivalent of private-sector flunkies trying to maintain a grasp on whatever they can.
Making the TTC an essential service removes the requirement for ATU 113 to be a well oiled union - with visionary leaders, strong management and a loyal following.
Essential service labour deals will be arbitrated in favor of ATU 113 and to the detriment of the rate payers.
Let them strike, no to essential service - starting privatizing the services immediately. Start with cleaning crews, mechanics, fare-watchers, collection booth-badgers, then move into the train services (get CN or Bombardier to run them), lastly get the bus drivers privatized. |
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| dEsidEL |
| quote: | Originally posted by rabbitjoker
Sure - as an essential service they will lose the right to strike, but the arbitrated deals they will get will be vastly superior than anything they can negotiate themselves.
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i was hinting at this notion earlier. I think there are some within the ATU ranks that would prefer to see transit made essential by the province and quite possibly are using this strike as a means of achieving those ends.
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| The Ear |
Thanks MissK. Cheers.
RJ: collection booth badgers ....lol....best description ever. |
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| rabbitjoker |
| quote: | Originally posted by dEsidEL
i was hinting at this notion earlier. I think there are some within the ATU ranks that would prefer to see transit made essential by the province and quite possibly are using this strike as a means of achieving those ends.
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Of course they are!
Should TTC workers should get similar deals to police, fire and EMS? NO WAY!
NO TO TTC ESSENTIAL SERVICE. |
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| MissK |
| quote: | Originally posted by rabbitjoker
Let them strike, no to essential service - starting privatizing the services immediately. Start with cleaning crews, mechanics, fare-watchers, collection booth-badgers, then move into the train services (get CN or Bombardier to run them), lastly get the bus drivers privatized. |
In the long run, I think the TTC are hurting themselves. Give it a couple years, even ten. It will be privatized. This is twice now in a short period of time. If this happens again, I feel there will be no other choice.
The government will not let the TTC affect their economy. |
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