Hijacked

And the Worst PR move of the Year award goes to Bob Kinnear and the TTC union for their remarkable lack of vision in 'Strike without Notice'...not coming to a theatre anywhere near you...at least not on time. How many people are waking up this morning and having one of the worst days of their public transit lives? How many people were abandoned downtown, boned when the TTC just decided to strike out of the blue without any notice? How many people were put in real jeopardy? Good call guys. Let's rename today. Let's call it 'Hug a TTC employee Day'. Or maybe not. That might too easily morph into 'Throttle a TTC employee day'. This is really shabby. And one more reason for people to get a hate on for the TTC union. Like we needed another. I don't disagree that employees should be compensated fairly for their work and looked after in terms of pensions, health plans and the like. But you can't take the public hostage. Plus, how much better would it look for them if instead of this kind of blind-sided hijacking, they said something like 'You know what? We have issues and demands, but we're not going to abandon the public. We'd like to be there for you and we will be. Will you be there for us?' I think the public would. I think if the TTC put a human face on, a face that smiled with dignity and fairplay, the public would respond. No one's ever tried that to my knowledge. Being the good guy. It's always hardball, hardball, hardball. You catch more riders with honey than vinegar.

Comments

[Cheryl T.]

If you listened carefully after the first strike was diverted you would have caught the words 'tentative agreement', meaning it still had to be voted on and could be rejected by a majority vote. The media neglected to mention while they were heralding glad tidings of the diverted strike and temporary agreement that it still was to be voted on and if rejected could mean an immediate strike by the drivers and lets not forget, the shop workers in all this too. I believe this important tad of information was purposely neglected because Mr. Kinnear and all the cushy paid commissioners at city hall were so sure the contract would be accepted. Surprise!
And please lets be honest when it comes to public support. Just as many a driver has had to put up with being spit it the face now was their turn to spit back.
How does that feel?

[Jason Chamberlain]

Amen Neil. Thank god I don't live downtown.

[Cassandra H.]

I have many opinions on this issue -some of which are for the good and bad arguments.
One - I do agree they shouldn't have left people without a ride at the last minute. That was not right.

And, between the politicians being their usual politician self and the media doing what they do best -this has been spun into a frenzy and if people weren't already ticked off to the extreme, they will be now.

But - being a unionized employee myself, I can understand their frustrations when dealing with the 'employer' and hoping they don't get royally screwed when the bargaining is over with.

Everywhere you turn these days, things cost more money and employers are looking for every way around paying out anymore than they need to.
If that means taking away much needed benefits, so be it.

And, this is one time I can't agree with you Neil - I do not think the public would be compassionate to the TTC drivers.
The public wants and wants but is not usually willing to be inconvenienced for a while to help give the TTC employees a fighting chance with their bargaining.
Striking is the only "bargaining tool" the employees have. So, if the Provincial Government is allowed to step in and legislate them back to work, what's the point of allowing them to strike in the first place? All that has done is severely piss off the public and make things worse for the TTC employees.

And to make it an essential service will never work. Might as well make my mechanic an essential service too. If I can't get my car fixed, how will I get around? Why stop there, why not include the teachers and cleaners of the schools too? Their argument that it is dangerous to the public isn't a good enough one for me.

I'm sorry, but if you can't stop crime, put out a fire or save a life, you're not essential.

[david]

Bonehead move! I thought all was just hunky a few days ago.

[Tom Pike]

I'd only like to add it is a safety issue. Personally I would not like to be 'some places' downtown after midnight with suddenly no plan on how to get home. I wonder how the union would feel if somebody in that circumstance didn't make it unscathed. Smacks to me of an essential service if it is not run by people that can be counted on to think before they lock up and go home.