Because I continue to despise our city's transit system, I feel obliged to write something about today's sudden TTC strike. I'm not sure what to say, because I have said it all before:
This dispute is much more ridiculous than any other I've seen. First off, the union claims it is a lockout, despite the doors being unlocked. It was union members who were blocking entry to work. Management is calling it an illegal strike, which I am more likely to agree with.
Secondly, nobody is entirely sure what this strike is about. The union says it's about driver safety from their own angry patrons... but I don't see how a wildcat strike is going to make them any safer. Others say that it's about forcing workers to do night shifts after years of doing the day shift. Well you know what? People have to do shifts they don't like sometimes. If you don't like it, you should change jobs.
If the union is right, and this strike is about driver safety... then this problem has escalated to a level that can't be ignored. That problem is that the TTC and the patrons are no longer in a service-client relationship. The strikes, price increases, and lousy service have created an antagonistic relationship where patrons dislike the TTC and only suffer it's service out of resentful necessity.
As I've always said, the problem with the TTC is not a simple management issue or a union issue. It's systemic problem that requires a complete restructuring. Quite simply, the people that comprise the TTC (management and union) are not the right people to handle transit in this city. The problems are only getting worse, and more money doesn't seem to solve anything.
About Me
- Flocons
- Battle Creek, Michigan
- It's not easy being a breakfast cereal. Sometimes people think you're flaky. Sometimes people think you're corny. In reality, you're both.
5 comments:
i dunno but as someone who has to take it on a regular basis and as someone who didn't want to give up a vacation day for that stupid reason i walked the hour and a half to work from our place. I wont let the ttc stop me!
I understand the issues but it sickens me that at the heart of this one was the maintenance shift workers having to switch to night shift.. i mean PLEASE! so you have to work night shift now instead of day shift.. TOO BAD! i'll take your job you get paid a whole lot more thne I do and have better benefits! I'd gladly work nights.
they are used to getting what they want like spoiled children. so the workers had a temper tantrum.. they need to be punished for it.
A point I haven't mentioned before is that it simply makes more sense to do maintenance work on a transit system when that transit system is not active (i.e. during the night).
Wouldn't that be better than working in the tunnels when subways are still running?
The "maintenance" workers that they wanted on night shift were basically the people that would clean the ttc during the day (on platforms and surrounding areas). The lack of these workers during the day would mean dirtier conditions for patrons during the day.
I'm sorry, but you are not entirely correct. The TTC maintenance workers include mechanical maintenance staff in addition to cleaning staff. Refer to following link:
Toronto transit shutdown stalls commuters
The plan is not to eliminate day crews entirely, but rather to put a few more of them on nights. Please keep in mind that they did not stage a strike because they were concerned that your TTC stations would get too dirty during the day.
Lucky for you then that you live so close to work. :)
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