Toronto transit strike could be short-lived

[CBC News]

People in Toronto woke Saturday to discover a sudden public transit strike had idled the city's fleet of subways, streetcars and buses, but efforts were underway to end the walkout before the Monday morning commute.
Transit users leaving bars, restaurants and late-night events were surprised to find themselves without a ride home after members of the largest Toronto Transit Commission union walked off the job at midnight Friday.
"This is unacceptable and it's also irresponsible," Mayor David Miller told a late-night news conference, referring to the union's decision to abandon an earlier pledge to provide 48 hours' notice of a strike.
"I'm extremely disappointed it wasn't ratified and very concerned the union hasn't honoured the 48-hour notice period," Miller said.
A news release from the Amalgamated Transit Union's Local 113 was issued about 90 minutes before the strike began, announcing 65 per cent of its members who voted refused to ratify a tentative contract agreement reached last weekend.
Union leader Bob Kinnear said giving longer notice would expose workers "to the dangers of assaults from angry and irrational members of the public."
FULL STORY
How is the strike affecting you? Do you have tips for other commuters?


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[eh1eh]

I think they should leave the dirty back stabbers out a while. How many people did they put in harms way with their lack of warning midnight strike? If that was my daughter or son out their with no ride home then I would take this personally. Still, I am insulted. Union members tend to be big babies and this proves it. To qualify that remark I'll mention I live in Oshawa and know a lot of union members. Even the most reasonable people become big babies when it comes to dealing with work matters.

 

[shadowshiv]

I think they should leave the dirty back stabbers out a while. How many people did they put in harms way with their lack of warning midnight strike? If that was my daughter or son out their with no ride home then I would take this personally. Still, I am insulted. Union members tend to be big babies and this proves it. To qualify that remark I'll mention I live in Oshawa and know a lot of union members. Even the most reasonable people become big babies when it comes to dealing with work matters.

I'll agree with you about a lot of them being big babies. You will not believe the crap I have seen people do at work and then are still able to come back to work even though they were "fired". I am not allowed to say what they did however, but needless to say it irks me that they were allowed back.

This strike is something that reeks of stupidity, to be honest. To promise to give 48 hours notice, and then say "I changed my mind. We're gonna go on strike as we are a bunch of cowards who don't want to have to put up with any angry(and rightfully so) customers."

Guess what? They will be even angrier at you when you are forced back to work. It'll be a lot worse for you then, I would imagine.

 

[Avro]

I think if I were someone in a union and the language in a contract opened the door to outside cheap labor taking my work away I would walk in a heart beat.

Most outside labor unions who oppose them generally hate them because they have no power in their own position and take pleasure in bringing them down to there level instead of fighting to improve their positions like little cowards.

I've worked in many places and own a business and this lazy stigma that unions have is prevalent in all business, especially office workers. If you only knew how little these people actually worked for the thousands they get you'd puke.

I find it funny how we piss on blue collar workers and fawn over white collar ones.

 

[TTC_Sucks]

TTC has proven again that it's NOT the better way!

Hello everyone,
I think if you have ever used the TTC, you will agree that their service sucks, the employees are rude and the bus drivers have caused numerous accidents due to their reckless driving. What's worse is the fact that they keep increasing the fares every few months and there's absolutely no end in site. To top it all off, they hold the people of Toronto hostage and they go on strike every few years. This time they really crossed the line, keeping everyone stranded on Friday night on April 25, 08. They didn't even bother giving us any notice and they have absolutely no regard for the public whatsoever. It's like a game for them and this should really come to an end. I can't wait until they make TTC an essential service so they can't do this anymore. I am especially upset this time, because my 19 year old daughter got stranded in the middle of downtown and by the time I got there from Richmond Hill to pick her up, she was standing outside for almost TWO hours. If anything had happened to her, I would have held the TTC responsible. I can't believe how frustrated everyone is, but it is pretty obvious, because when I searched on the web for a place to vent, I found so many different websites. One website, has gone so far to make a contest out of this and the contest promises the top TTC complaint stories a free gas card and it is at ComeVentWithUs.com . I really hope that I win that gas card, because as we all know TTC really stands for TAKE THE CAR! Thanks CanadianContent for letting me rant.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I think if I were someone in a union and the language in a contract opened the door to outside cheap labor taking my work away I would walk in a heart beat.

Most outside labor unions who oppose them generally hate them because they have no power in their own position and take pleasure in bringing them down to there level instead of fighting to improve their positions like little cowards.

I've worked in many places and own a business and this lazy stigma that unions have is prevalent in all business, especially office workers. If you only knew how little these people actually worked for the thousands they get you'd puke.

I find it funny how we piss on blue collar workers and fawn over white collar ones.

Why did the union leaders recommend to the members that they accept the offer then?

Bob Kinnear(Union Leader) is ****ing the people of Toronto again, like his wildcat strike he pulled off a couple years back. The TTC union has lost just about any sympathy from the general public after this, and they only have their greed to blame.

Regardless, Queens Park will have them forced back to work on Monday morning.

 

[Avro]

Why did the union leaders recommend to the members that they accept the offer then?

Bob Kinnear(Union Leader) is ****ing the people of Toronto again, like his wildcat strike he pulled off a couple years back. The TTC union has lost just about any sympathy from the general public after this, and they only have their greed to blame.

Regardless, Queens Park will have them forced back to work on Monday morning.

I never said Kinnear wasn't to blame here.

The members certainly didn't like what they saw in the language of the contract and in a democratic way voted against the union leaderships recommendation.

It happens.

 

[MikeyDB]

I think it would be just swell if TTC kept on strike all summer!

 

[karrie]

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/ctv-news/73295-ttc-workers-back-job-service.html