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- Thread starter drum118
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Northern Light
Superstar
No, sadly, that was when I woke up, the first time.
I slept from midnight to 3:15am.
I was up til 4:15am, then went back to bed, and probably slept 4:30am - 7:15am, and now I return with my grand total of six hours sleep!
Richard White
Senior Member
I remember the last strike when my father was still working for the TTC.
We got an automated call from Bob Kinnear telling 113 Members that as of 12:01 am the union would be on strike. That message came around 9 pm.
It went on to tell union members not to report to work the next day and await further instructions relating to pickets.
Eventually when they went back to work it was interesting to watch the buses start to roll out of Birchmount division.
We got an automated call from Bob Kinnear telling 113 Members that as of 12:01 am the union would be on strike. That message came around 9 pm.
It went on to tell union members not to report to work the next day and await further instructions relating to pickets.
Eventually when they went back to work it was interesting to watch the buses start to roll out of Birchmount division.
allengeorge
Senior Member
I’m glad a strike was averted (for now); let’s see what union membership says.
That said, I think it’s super nutty that cross-border bussing is seen as a major problem by the union. I understand that it _may_ (key word: may) result in fewer TTC buses over time, but Toronto needs more transit service, and I suspect operators can be reassigned to better uses. I also wouldn’t be surprised if cross-border bussing combined with the one-fare program increased the demand for transit, making this a win for all transit agencies. I have zero sympathy for the union’s stance here.
That said, I think it’s super nutty that cross-border bussing is seen as a major problem by the union. I understand that it _may_ (key word: may) result in fewer TTC buses over time, but Toronto needs more transit service, and I suspect operators can be reassigned to better uses. I also wouldn’t be surprised if cross-border bussing combined with the one-fare program increased the demand for transit, making this a win for all transit agencies. I have zero sympathy for the union’s stance here.
fiendishlibrarian
Active Member
I remember that strike, and my father - he was near the top of the seniority list at the time - telling his union steward and route supervisor to go fuck themselves, he wasn't going to stop his bus at 12:01am and leave old people and women stranded by the side of the street at night.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
A person not being able to get to work to pay the rent and put food on the table, your kid not being able to get to school, you having to call in sick and lose money because your childcare centre is closed down due to an inability for the actual workers to get there, missing an important medical appointment that you have waited 6 months to get, a student potentially losing an entire semester, businesses closing due to the workers can't show up, huge loses to small businesses due to lack of customers, and people not being able to access key gov't services {including social services} are NOT "Inconveniences" as you state.
If you lose your income for a couple months and can't pay the rent or put food on the table for you and your kids and hence end up on the streets living in a tent and lining up at soup kitchens, you won't mind us just telling you very uncharitably, "well, it sucks" and then having a good laugh.
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T3G
Senior Member
There are alternatives, such as taxis, Ubers, carpooling, driving, personal transportation such as bikes and scooters, and GO Transit, so it is not as apocalyptic as you seem to be suggesting.
N.B. I seem to recall that it was not very long ago that we were quite content with shutting down the economy for 2 years during the pandemic. To frame workers striking for even a few weeks as some kind of attack on small businesses after COVID feels pretty disingenuous. If we were content with shutting down businesses to protect people's health, surely a bit of inconvenience so that people can attain better working conditions should be an absolute cakewalk.
N.B. I seem to recall that it was not very long ago that we were quite content with shutting down the economy for 2 years during the pandemic. To frame workers striking for even a few weeks as some kind of attack on small businesses after COVID feels pretty disingenuous. If we were content with shutting down businesses to protect people's health, surely a bit of inconvenience so that people can attain better working conditions should be an absolute cakewalk.
picard102
Senior Member
It's almost as if society has failed when employers pay their employees so poorly that a person calling in sick results in them "living in a tent".
If only there was some way to force employers to negotiate with employees, like some kind of collective, or union.
If only there was some way to force employers to negotiate with employees, like some kind of collective, or union.
turbanplanner
Senior Member
evandyk
Senior Member
You wouldn't be able to drive anywhere in less than 3x or more what it usually takes if the TTC was on strike.
T3G
Senior Member
Sounds to me like the TTC is pretty damn essential, and therefore the safest and most socially responsible way to avoid the carnage of a TTC strike is to stop being cheap bastards and give them what they want... Just a thought.
Northern Light
Superstar
Since we don't have all the details of 'the ask', I'm not clear that that is the right answer.
I'm all for a living wage (or better) and for decent benefit, vacation etc.
Those I'd happily support, but no one should get 'carte blanche'...... surely every person thinks 1M per year sounds nice, hell why not 2M or 10M? I realize that's not what we're talking about here, but a responsible take surely requires knowing what the ask is before demanding it be granted.
Northern Light
Superstar
I don't think that take is at all reasonable. I have a friend who lives in south Scarborough and works downtown, nowhere close to a GO station.
He was very concerned what would happen if there was a strike. He doesn't own a bike, or a scooter, and if he had enough spare cash, there likely wouldn't be one to be found within hours of a strike being called. He doesn't drive either.
He was facing the prospect of a 2 hour walk to work, and a 2 hour walk home, after a 12-hour shift!
For him, there is no slush fund to pay the rent.............and his employer would not pay him if he missed work.
That really would be a disaster for him; and he's hardly alone.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of workers dependent on TTC.
The idea that even if someone happened to live near a GO Station, AND work near one, that there would be sufficient spare capacity to absorb even 5% of TTC traffic is entirely unrealistic. There is no such spare room at current service levels, and limited ability to ramp up service with any speed.
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One can reasonably debate whether TTC workers should be deemed 'essential' and what the appropriate offset is in the law should that be the case.
But to suggest the impact would not be severe for many people is not in line w/the realities of many.
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turbanplanner
Senior Member
As I mentioned earlier, some of the asks seem unreasonable. (routes having hard boundaries at city lines) With housing prices and the shift to gig work a lot of people cross boundaries, especially with the onefare changes.
