TTC Strike: Nasty Union In-fighting?
Way back in university I developed an intense dislike for psycho activists.
You know the kind.
You say something innocuous. Say, for example, that they should buy the green bike instead the blue one, and they start screaming "HATE
CRIME!!!!!!" in your face.
Above: Alternate Strike Vehicle #1
The news from Steve Munro's blog is worth reading, especially the comment by an operator - click here - who explains that it looks like another conspiracy by the psycho activists.
As a T.T.C. Operator, let me give you my take on this situation.
I was shocked when I found out from Bob’s phone call that the
members voted against the contract. 3/3/3 increases, upgrades to
benefits, and most importantly, no concessions.
However, this wasn’t good enough for the maintenance department. They want guaranteed lifetime jobs.
The commission is buying new vehicles and like all new vehicles they
have warranties. The maintenance people don’t like this as they think
they will be laid off because the company manufacturing these vehicles
will be doing the repairs that are covered under the warranty.
I do not support the maintenance department at all. Everyone knows
the maintenance department is a joke. They are always complaining about
how hard and tough their working conditions are. Yet they might work
2-3 hours out of an 8 hour shift.
I'd normally be skeptical of such claims, except that it does jive with my past experiences with said psycho activists. The operator continues to explain how s/he believes this unfolded:
Yet about 50% of operators in transportation voted no to this offer
for it to be 65% No. I don’t believe this high figure is to support the
maintenance department. There was wording in the contract about
maintenence being about to transfer to transportation. Many operators
believed this to mean they (maintenance employees) would also take
their seniority with them.
Bob Kinnear sent out messages letting membership know this was
completely false (about carrying your seniority). Someone on the
executive started this false rumour to get operators pissed enough to
vote with the maintenance department for a No vote. I think Kinnear’s
message didn’t reach enough members before they voted.
I can’t see 50% of operators turning down this contract. This was
the second contract Kinnear worked on that was all gains and not one
concession (first being in 2005).
So operators knew they were getting a sweet deal, but a union executive (read: "psycho activist) felt that wasn't good enough.
I'm not well versed in union contract terminology, but I understand this to mean that the maintenance guys could switch to the transit department and bump transirt operators? Or something like that, anyway.
I think someone in the Executive is out for Kinnear and trying to
make him look bad. I honestly think Bob cares about transit very much
and doesn’t take any pleasure calling a strike.
I believe most operators don’t want to strike as we don’t want anymore abuse thrown our way than we already receive.
I don’t believe in striking but yet fully support Bob Kinnear. Don’t
look for Bob to get shown the door or kicked out. Not a chance that
will happen. Someone will pay and and it won’t be Bob.
If the union scuttlebut is true, then this is explosive news which you should keep in mind as you grit your teeth with rage towards TTC operators.
Above: Alternate Strike Vehicle, for families
Having quoted all that, the question remains - why strike so quickly - with 1/24th the promised notice being given - 2 hours instead of 48? Kinnear parroted a lame explanation about safety - but drivers I spoke with believe Kinnear got out-manuevered by other union executives, supporting the assertions made on Munro's site in the above comment.
What I see is the inflexible thinking of the extreme unionist mindset at play: yes, service ends at 2 a.m. on a normal day, but by ending neatly at midnight, you can start the strike at a given day, "on the dot at midnight", rather than 2 hours later, when people expect it to.
There are of course two major problems with this theory:
- lots of vehicles started to go out of service at 11:30 p.m., documented in the video linked to below,
- it smells suspiciously like a way to harm people relying on the service for a ride home.
Don't fool yourself - another kind of unionist mindset was also at work: the strike has to harm the people of the city to achieve it's goal.
Are you angry?
The TTC union believes it has succeeded. And in its own twisted way, it has one it's little battle - showing it has some kind of warped sense of power.
In the long run, the TTC union has shot itself in the foot, knee, groin, and elbow.
Simultaneously.
With the strike on, anger predictably exploded. Check out the shattered window at Spadina station.
If you're still hankering for more footage to boil you blood - after all, this Globe and Mail's article angry forum is already closed - you can check out this footage of the early hours of the strike featuring, among other things, a quick interview with some Etobicoke boys stranded at Yonge and Eglinton, which was illustrative of last night's chaos.
I haven't seen many more developments since last night's news - just the cover story on the Star confirming that the Ontario government may actually do something for once, and run to work on Sunday to restore order.
One of the two worst case scenarios has already been engaged: the public is angry, and the hotheads among us are definitely going to give the workers a hard time for the indefinite future.
The second worst case scenario is a punitive reaction from the government. Newspapers report hard economic times ahead.
Companies don't give generous raises in such situations, they cut back of lay off people. We need to strengthen the TTC, of course, so layoffs are the last thing anyone expects. But is it possible to imagine an arbitrator saying, "actually, 3% is too generous - the government can't afford more than 1 or 2%".
If I was an arbitrator, and had access to the current economic picture, I think this would be a very likely scenario - or even a wage freeze for that matter.
This is going to get worse before it gets better.
At least you don't have to hold tight - no crazy bus driver is going to whip you around a corner at high speeds for at least the next day or two.