Transit Strike
We will not expose our members to the dangers of assaults from angry and irrational members of the public. —Bob Kinnear, TTC union leader
Toronto transit operators are on strike, after giving just two hours notice last night. Bob Kinnear had earlier pledged there would be 48 hours notice to the public of any labour action.
Last week, when the settlement was announced, I thought it was quite generous, and when I heard Mayor Miller on television defending the deal, I thought, OK, they received a good deal in exchange for labour peace. I know their job isn't a cakewalk. They have to deal with difficult riders at times, and as well, on some routes and shifts, drivers have to cope with drunks on a regular basis.
It seemed as if everyone was happy, but something was going on I certainly didn't know about. TTC mechanics were concerned about contracting out, but it wasn't just the mechanics who voted against ratification. The vote was decisive. Is Mr. Kinnear really representing the workers in his union? I expect the union is going to take a long hard look at his leadership.
Mayor Miller is very unhappy at the lack of notice to strike, and has asked the premier to push through back-to-work legislation. The legislature will meet in a rare Sunday session, and if the parties all agree, the bill will be pushed right through. Interestingly, Mr. Miller, known for his labour sympathies, has asked for the legislation. What will NDP leader Howard Hampton do? The whole business is politically very sensitive.
My question for you? Should the Toronto Transit Commission be declared an essential service? Should they have the right to strike? I don't like to take away the right to strike, but if a strike leads to immediate back-to-work legislation anyway, maybe we should stop pretending a strike will ever be allowed for longer than it takes to order the workers back to their jobs.
4 comments:
I don't like to take away the right to strike, but if a strike leads to immediate back-to-work legislation anyway, maybe we should stop pretending a strike will ever be allowed for longer than it takes to order the workers back to their jobs."
I had this same thought when the teachers went on strike here a few years back. I don't think it had anything to do with essential services - other than having school out meant that parents had no one to babysit their kids.
I don't live in Toronto, but my initial response when I heard this today was that people will now realize how important a well-functioning transit system really is and the powers that be will do something to fix it. But, I wonder if this will just piss the ridership off and you'll end up seeing more cars on the roads - something you don't need!
I do not want the TTC to hire outside mechanics. I understand why the mechanics may feel threatened.
Meanwhile, I think Mister Anchovy ahso a good point, why didn't Kinnear know about this situation or did he? Why the surprise action?
Anyways it seems that the legislation is moving to put the TTC back to work, even today. Hampton was on board as he's done this before.
I don't think the strikewill encourage people to drive their cars instead of returning to TTc. Riding the TTc is so much faster, more comfortable and hassle free than driving a car in Toronto...people like being able to read and not worry about traffic.
There are perhaps also, about .01 percent of the population who have made an effort to ride TTc for the sake of the environment, but very few. It is always the ease and comfort of the service the service plus the economic benefits of not driving a car that keep people off the road.
As gas prices keep going up...not only will only the very rich be able to drive, but then...the public transit might become an "essential service".
(p.s. the word verification no blogger, has changed and it's almost impossible to decipher...sheesh)
Yesterday, a spokesperson for the TTC said the issue with the mechanics was about warranty work. When they buy new buses, the TTC apparently has the manufacturer do some of the required warranty work. If this is true, it's a lot different than contracting out. I take my 2001 Corolla to Frank the World's Greatest Mechanic for servicing, but if I had bought a new one, I might be required to have the dealer do some of the warranty work or risk voiding the warranty. In any case, I don't think we are getting the full picture from the TTC, Mr. Kinnear, or for that matter from Mr. Miller and Mr. Giambroni and the City.
Now that the legislation has been passed to require the workers to return to their jobs, an arbitrated settlement will take place, and the media and Mr. Miller seem sure that will mean an enhanced settlement for the workers. If that is the case, then declaring the TTC an essential service would be more than fair to the workers, since they would get better contracts. The city would pay more, but then again, we would have a guarantee of no service interruptions and a happier workforce....and nobody would need Mr. Kinneer.
I wouldn't bet on a back-to-work order producing a better deal for workers, ever, nor for commuters.
Arbitration will certainly benefit the employer, if only because the right to withdraw labour will have been stripped out.
Out here, the "liberal" government began its tenure with a slash & burn campaign that killed off roughly 20% of the public service.
This included about 40% of the Children and Families ministry and the entire women's and native rights agency (because those probelms, presumably, have been fixed and no longer require our attention).
The result was several high-profile strikes. The teachers famously went on an exceedingly badly-timed strike for a 27% pay rise when the rest of the public sector had been told "Here are your cuts, like 'em or lump 'em."
The teachers were declared an essential service and forced back to work with no raise.
It's also interesting that the essential service declaration is only ever used against unions.
No-one ever declares gas jockeys or truckers an essential service. Why? Because they're not unionized. Powerless, they present no threat, and so no-one forces them to become "essential".
Among other things, I'd like to see home heating oil and gas declared an essential service, and prices capped to match, just as salaries are inevitably capped when someone's serfice--sorry--I mean "serfage" is declared essential.
Post a Comment