City and CUPE local 5500 reach agreement!
Hats off to City staff and CUPE 5500 for working hard to reach an agreement today. Well done to both sides in getting this done without strike action.
This demonstrates that the unions and the City are more than capable of reaching an agreement through negotiations. It is much better to be sitting down at the table finding solutions rather than simply going to an outside party to work out important issues.
I ask again that the leadership of ATU 279 come back to the bargaining table and deal with the important issue of scheduling. We want you to be there and I hope you will come back and work with our team to make Ottawa a better city.
December 16th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Thumbs up to CUPE 5500 for being able to come to an agreement without causing the city choas. Then again, you don’t have ‘you know who’ representing you.
Merry Christmas!
December 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Dear Mayor:
Glad to see that a settlement has been reached with this OC Transpo Union. But there is an important issue that I have yet to see addressed. Are members of this union still being paid by taxpayers even though there is no work for them to do since the buses are not running?
Also, stand firm against the drivers’ union. The public is overwhelming on your side.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
What a great political move. Quietly settle with CUPE while the ATU dispute gets negotiated out in the open.
Not. Very. Classy.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
you sure know how to play the good guy in all of this mr. mayor. you talk of safety and recovery time? heres a little known fact, recovery time is for the bus, not the driver. recovery time means if the bus is running 25 minutes late and there is a 25 minute break at the end…the bus is supposed to turn right around and head back the other way.
and 8 hours rest? thanks so much, it takes me half an hour to get home and half an hour to get back to work. thats seven hours, give or take an hour of downtime and half an hour to digest some food, another half an hour to shower and shave. thats roughly five hours of sleep…might as well stay at work and sleep on the bench you said you saw.
keep playing that fiddle sir. i think and hope that people are starting to see through your smoke and mirrors and realize you’re government had this agenda all along.can you start reducing that tax increase yet? the one that is ruining christmas around here is you.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I hope that you read your comments, or that someone reads them and lets you know what they’re saying.
Faced with this transit strike, many people have flocked to Web sites and Facebook groups looking to get around town. I’m sure there are some great success stories proving that Ottawa is a great place with great people. We’ve heard extreme stories in the news of how people can’t get around, are missing appointments, and how businesses are starting to feel the impact of Ottawa-sans-bus.
This past week has been a wonderful experiment. It has shown that for how much us ordinary commuters complain about the buses, routes, drivers, and the like, we ultimately need the system and can accept its flaws in the face of the alternative. It’s easy to take it all for granted, and commuters and non-commuters alike have really seen this past week how much everyone depends on having OC Transpo. In a lot of ways, they really do carry the community.
Hearing that the strike will be at least another week certainly makes me, and I imagine everyone else, sigh and take a moment before having to continue planning how to get to and from the most essential of activities. We start to see first-hand the benefits of compromise. There’s been a whole lot of “I’ll go out of my way to drive you to X if you don’t mind arriving 20 minutes early.” and “you can be 10 minutes late, but then you’ll have to do task Y.” For a week, that has worked for many of us. It will for yet another.
Each of us have made sacrifices, whether it was spending more time in traffic, giving up shifts at work, paying more for parking, changing daily schedules, staying in instead of going out, etc. In that spirit, I ask you the City and the Union to seek out each other’s needs and reach an agreement. Take initiative. Work together to end this dispute so that life in the city and everyone, whether they use OC Transpo services daily or have never stepped foot on a bus, can get back to normal.
In the end, there are no heroes or villains, no offenders or victims, just people. There’s you, me, and over million others. It doesn’t matter who is wrong or who is right, just that differences get settled and everyone pushes forward.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Handled correctly. Thank you.
Stay the course with ATU 279. As a mater of fact I would ask you to set deadlines and to start removing concessions as the deadlines pass.
Week 1 - Signing bonus removed
Week 2 - Raises reduced to 1% yearly
Week 3 - No raises
Week 4 - Wage decrease 1 %
Week 5 - Wage decrease 2 %
I am tired of paying over 100$ dollars a month to take the bus. If the city can reign in these costs by controlling schedules, so be it.
Why should we pay higher fares so that drivers can schedule their work week when most of us do not have this luxury. If my boss says I have to work x, y and z, then I work x,y and z. Otherwise I am free to find another job. Is the union really asking ME to pay for the following: higher salaries, more sick days, pick your own schedules? Why should I have to pay for these things when I don’t get them?
To top it all off they ask for this when people are getting laid off, when people’s life savings have depreciated considerably due to the economic downturn, when most other people are not getting raises.
Selfish. Shame.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Congratulations and well done! CUPE 5500 has shown that they’re a much more reasonable group of people. Hopefully ATU 279 is paying attention!
As for Michael’s comment: I hope they’re still being paid. It’s not CUPE 5500’s fault that they don’t have a whole lot to do at work right now. Put yourself in their situation: should you not be paid because there’s nothing for you to do at work because some other group of employees at your company are on strike?
December 17th, 2008 at 8:37 am
[…] Larry O’Brien blogged about it, and already a few commentors are criticizing it. For example, John said: What a great political move. Quietly settle with CUPE while the ATU dispute gets negotiated out in the open. […]
December 17th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Mr. Mayor, don’t you think that if the drivers of oc transpo had issues with their split routes and rest time given they would have made complaints to their union representatives? Forget about this scheduling issue and let the drivers and their union take care of it, not the city. This strike is affecting people alot harder than you think. I attend a community college where several students have been expelled because of missing classes due to no transportation to school. Luckily as a single mother I’ve been able to find rides with my parents at their expense, making them late for work or having to leave work early to drive me to/from school and to/from work as late as almost midnight giving them less sleep as well as myself.
This whole situation is affecting our city’s economy as well. I work in retail at St.Laurent and our usual busy weekends have slowed to almost a dead weekday worth of sales and hours are being cut because of this furthermore affecting our staff and their earnings.
WAKE UP! something needs to be done and the city should be the bigger player in this situation and stop being so stubborn. Listen to Mr.Doucette and get some form of arbitration to help settle this!
December 17th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Driver … we, the citizens of Ottawa, you know, the customers, have always been at your mercy — prior to the strike, you never gave us a sense of appreciation, you treated us like dirt, never a good morning or a smile — and now that we are in the middle of the strike, we witness you blocking access to parking areas, to shuttles trying to get students to exams, comments that Cornellier makes on your behalf — and you wonder why we do not support you? It has nothing to do with the Mayor, it has everything to do with past and present actions and inactions. At least the Mayor’s comments are descent and the offer that has been made public is exceedingly generous. You are all greedy and selfish and I hope that you suffer the consequences of this strike. You have lost all trust and respect that we had for you.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Mayor Larry … congratulations on a win. Hold tight with the OC transpo negotiations, the citizens of Ottawa deserve to have that service run by management NOT by the unions. They are an excellent example of the “dinosaur union” and if they don’t get into the 21st century where most unions are moving, then they need to be extinct! Outsource!
December 17th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Please explain to us drivers and to your public Sir, why in the deal with supervisors and transit law you were willing to drop block booking? Why is it not necessary to control their schedules but it is drivers? Explain why they will maintain their seniority and their ability to book where and when? Is it not time that the city control schedules and dictate a work day? Did their spread go up? Their wage certainly did, higher than what you propose I might add. So explain to me sir - why those negotiations were cleaned up and swept under rug PRIVATELY prior to the strike date but with the drivers you air it out in the public and on the eve of the strike refused to listen to a Federal Mediator`s suggestions in order to avert a stoppage?
Since you sir are so bold as to issue challenges to the drivers and to our negotiating team - please allow me the right to challenge you and Mr. Mercier to present your entire mock booking of Sept that you simulated in order to attain your numbers. Show us please - in full - exactly how our work was affected. If you did infact simulate it using our current preferences - then there should be absolutely no problem providing that to us to see for our selves. With all due respect - I don`t want cut and paste promises and deletions - I want to see your mock booking. Will you show this to us? If as you say it is as promising and guaranteeing drivers with a better quality of life - I`m sure you would be proud and and excited to show it us?
Thank for the opportunity.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:37 am
To Driver says, your math doesn’t make sense. by stating what you did you are implying you work 15 or so hours a day. Also you seem to forget that everyone else in the same boat as well, when I started work at 7am I had a 45 minute commute there and the same back as well. Since when do buses run 25 minutes late? unless for an accident or other cause that is not in the driver’s control. Is management that unflexible that they do not understand that? As for what Michael said, I have to agree, I hope they are being laid off until this strike is over, or are we afraid they will go on strike to complain about being laid off.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:38 am
This was finalized in a very professional way. I think they should be rewarded. Everyday this transit strike drags on, more and more money and perks should be directed to this group. Less should be available for the people not driving the bus around.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I agree with Michael. Why are the CUPE members not laid off during the strike. There are obviously no buses running so what do we need Route Supervisors for?
And John, the only group that has showed a complete lack of class in this whole affair is the ATU 279 and it’s members. Blocking traffic and causing traffic chaos and threatening to block children getting off of school buses to name just a few of their mob mentality actions are pretty low???? Please don’t tell me that is classy. Disgraceful.
CUPE 5500 on the other hand seems to have logical, professional executives that realize tough economic times are a hardship to be endured by everyone and were willing to accept the reasonable offer presented to them.
ATU members are being selfish, arrogant in their expectations and ignorant of the reality of the economic times we are living in. The longer this strike lasts the less of a chance the ATU members will have to recuperate their lost income no matter what new contract ends up being signed. Pretty foolish don’t you think - but they are too bull headed to make that realization and cut their losses and go back to work with what is a very reasonable offer. Why is it so important to make your own schedule if not for the fact it is being manipulated by the drivers to pad their pay cheques. It has nothing to do with dignity it has everything to do with greed.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hey driver,
Get back to work, you lazy good for nothing bum,
you are the one to blame for this mess, you will never convince me otherwise.
you’re a driver, that’s all you’re qualified to do and paid quite well considering your education level so drive,
let managers manage
I salute the City of Ottawa for not giving in to the unions unreasonable demands
December 17th, 2008 at 11:11 am
How many of you drivers would take a 20% pay cut.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Mayor I am the President of CUPE Local 5500 and the reason talks proceeded is the City took its concessions off the table and decided to bargain properly through its labor relations department to find settlement satisfactory to all parties concerned. We are a professional group doing a professional job daily and I urge you to take the concessions off the table also with the brothers and sisters in ATU 279 and bargain with them to find solutions to the city’s needs by working together instead of dictating to them. Make the Union a partner and allow them to show you ways of saving money and increasing customer satisfaction while maintaining a quality of life for their members who also do a very professional job daily in serving this city.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Replying to Gordon’s response to my comment of Dec 16 at 7:32 pm:
There are at least three good reasons why they should be laid off if there is no work for them to do: 1) That’s what happens in the private sector. Why should public sector employees be given special treatment?; 2) It’s the taxpayer’s that are paying these employees to do nothing. We were just told by the majority of councillors that the best they could do to minimize spending will still result in 4.9% increase in taxes, more than twice the rate of inflation. Paying employees to do nothing is unacceptable in this environment; 3) with multiple unions at OC Transpo, it encourages each to take a turn on strike if they can be sure that when the other groups are on strike they will still be paid but won’t have to do any work. If other unions were laid off because the buses weren’t running, those employees would, like the vast majority of the general public, be urging the striking workers to return to work.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Once again, Noah is on the blog preaching his verbal diarrhea at the mayor and the rest of us. His last blog time was 9:15am this morning.
WHY ARE YOU NOT ON THE PICKET LINE? Is it because it is too cold out? Is is because it is snowing out? All the rest of the city has to tough it out this morning scrambling to get to work anyway they could because the transit service we depend has been shut down. Yet, you sit here, writing post after post on how the drivers are so mistreated and so hard done by.
MAYOR LARRY - Do not give the drivers the $2,000 signing bonus. They no longer deserve it. Give them thweir raise and not a penny more. I personally am not a fan of yours, but I do support you in this.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Noah..
Please go away. You have very little support from the public. I have no sympathy for you.
Why dont you consider sitting down with your Union and come up with a better plan for scheduling? As well, what has your Union given up to help the City be more fiscally responsible?
Are you willing to give up your $2000 bonus and raise to have the schedule remain the same?
I have still not heard one thing that the Union has given the taxpayers a break on.
I find it funny when I see transit drivers on the news complaining that they are not aware of what was in the last agreement.
Your whole group is like a bunch of little servants running around with your nose up the ATU Union Bosses arse. Why doesn’t your 2300 member group of ‘workers’ sit down together and work out a solution and then force the Union to accept it.
Stop blaming everyone else for this problem and figure out a solution yourself. It has been made clear the current schedule is not acceptable.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
One thing I must point out, as a driver in Ottawa that has never been able to rely on OC Transpo, to get from my Orleans home to Kanata employer on time. It was nice this morning in all that traffic not to have to fight with all the double buses that are usually stuck in the ditch in this kind of bad weather. I don’t think there was a snow storm last winter where I got clogged in traffic on montreal road trying to make my way east and some double bus is jack knifed in the road taking up all but half a lane of traffic and the drive or any other form of offical is nowhere in sight.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Noah,
Why do you keep asking the Mayor to ’show you things’ and ‘explain things’ to you.
That is the responsibility of YOUR Union boss. Let him sit down with the City and work something out. He claimed that he was voted in the members to represent everyone, so MAKE him represent you.
Your ridiculous posts make the transit workers look more foolish each and every day.
Transit drivers are going to be in for a rude awakening once they are back to work. I hope there are extra special constables on the busses as people are going to be furious. Your Union boss is to blame for this..
Since you are so active on this site, why don’t you personally arrange a meeting with the 2300+ members and come up with a solution. At that point, you may earn the priviledge to speak to Mr. O’Brien.
Right now, you are part of the problem, not the solution.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Mayor O’Brien
Don’t back down to this union. You are fulfilling your responsiblity to the public at controlling costs. The City has offered them a more than reasonable settlement however it appears they want everything to go their way. It’s a power struggle that this union president is putting on. OC Transpo is suppose to provide a service to the public and from my experience it’s a very poor one. Some drivers are not very friendly (they can’t even crack a smile) and sometimes the buses don’t show up thereby making you late for appointments or for work. The service definitely needs improvement and if changing the scheduling issue will help it, I’m all for it. The union should not dictate on how the City runs its service.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Calling that union boss from the ATU… Look at tehis example from CUPE. HINT HINT. We want our bus service back like last week.
December 17th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Once again the selfish and self-centred citizens of Ottawa have spoken. Think about your job? Think about your family and your holiday celebrations. Think about someone else for a change and then start thinking about the families of the OC Transpo workers who are on strike.
You’re all forgetting about the meaning of the holidays and even about civil behaviour.
I’m ashamed to be a citizen of this city and I’m ashamed of our Mayor.
And all of you who are shouting stupid remarks like “fire them all” and “why don’t the drivers have a heart and run the buses on Saturday so we can shop for Christmas”, duh, you are showing just how stupid the citizens here are. The drivers cannot be fired. They are in a legal strike position. AND, they cannot just “start up the buses” for you on Saturday. It’s not that bloody simple. Use your collective brain instead of opening your mouth.
Peace and happy holidays. Mayor O’Brien, perhaps you should sit down and listen to the only one on council with any brain…Mr. Doucet.
December 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Mr. O’Brien. The Union has been asking to go back to the table. You and the city are refusing to negotiate the scheduling issue. Tell the union you are willing to talk about/ make compromises with the scheduling issue and they will go back to the table. Every driver I have spoken with is willing to take a reduced wage increase if you will negotiate the booking. Stop saying its a final offer. That is not negotiating.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Supervisors and transit law are not the ones transporting thousands of people each day. They have stops at posts/stations where their bodies rest up. You and your fellow drivers on the other hand are responsible for safely transporting passengers while they are on the vehicle you are in control of.
Why was it the CUPE 5500 negotiations “cleaned up and swept under rug PRIVATELY prior to the strike date” Maybe because they didn’t have that knuckle dragger (*as he has now been named by many) union boss making a fool out of himself on TV and in the papers.
You want to see the mock booking? Heck, your great leader wont even let you and your fellow drivers vote on new offers, how do you expect to see this booking?
Oh, by the way Noah… (I’m sure you remember my story from the previous threads) guess what I got to put under the Christmas tree for my children? Oh, that’s right… I don’t even have a tree to put up let alone gifts for my children because my quality of life was ruined all because I was a passenger on OC Transpo.
Merry Christmas, Noah.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Come on, we need transit to be declared an essential service. You know, like it is in Toronto. And while you’re at it, lets get the army in here to shovel some of this snow.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Melanie D - if you are ashamed to live in a city full of self-centered, stoopid citizens you should move. We’ll all be better off.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Though it may be understandable for employees to see pay raises and reasonable benifit increases during regular economic times, it is ridiculous to try to gain those when the entire country’s economy is crashing. With news of the possible closure of the big three, there is a possibility that half a million jobs will be lost in Canada. Do you understand that, people are worried about losing their jobs, and your striking for pay raises! When it comes down to it…driving a bus isn’t the most complicated or skilled employement opportunity and it pays decently well. People in need of real jobs should be given the opportunity to take the job of any striker. How dare people strike to get paid more when a large portion of the country is simply struggling to keep their job!
Do I think every bus driver deserves to be fired? No of course not. Do I think that bus drivers should realize that they have jobs and should be trying to keep them rather than trying to get raises by striking, yes.
Either give up on your strike, or give your job to somebody more deserving.
- A passanger of the OC Transpo.
December 17th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Melanie D.
If the Citizens of Ottawa are such idiots, maybe you should pack your bags and move to a city where people are perfect, just like you.
I can tell that you have not lived here for very long. OC Transpo drivers for the most part are a bunch of ignorant, spoiled, brats. The rare exceptions are a throwback from the days when bus drivers were considerate and knew that they needed to have decent social skills in order to interact with people. The majority of drivers care only about 1 thing, their paycheque. Pull your head out of your arse and start acting like an intelligent human being.
Intelligent human beings will:
- not put down someone who may have a skewed or ill-informed opinion.
- speak with respect to others, knowing that courtesy will usually be reciprocated
As for running the buses on Saturday “not being that simple” the fact is, the Union can sit there and say “yes, go back to work for the day (or heaven forbid the weekend) so that you can make a few bucks and the citizens whom we want to sympathise with us can see that we’re not a bunch of thugs holding the city hostage. Call it a Christmas gift.
No, instead the Union will sit back and take the “screw you Ottawa, we represent the so-called-needs of our drivers, not the needs of the city” attitude.
My Christmas won’t be ruined because I still protray getting together with family as the best part of the holiday, but I’m sure that there will be a lot of unhappy and disappointed children who won’t recieve any gifts this year.
Merry Christmas.
December 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
@Michael: To lay off one union which has signed a fair contract because another union is on strike is to give any union that strikes all the control — presently the larger union has gone on strike, but what it the tables were turned? Would you want the drivers laid off in the event that CUPE 5500 or some other union at OC Transpo was on strike? No — I’m sure you’d be saying that the drivers could drive even without the garage- and route supervisors and that the Ottawa Police could pick up the slack for the transit cops.
CUPE 5500 members are, presumably, making best efforts to report to their place of work every day. If they’re prevented from entering their workplace due to reasons beyond their control (i.e. strikers) it is not fair that they should be penalized. If they are not attempting to report for work then they shouldn’t be paid. Also, I don’t know what the various CUPE 5500 jobs do, but there may be training and other job-related duties that still need to be performed regardless of whether the buses are running. Paratranspo is still running and some of the CUPE 5500 people may be involved with them.
Oh, and Noah: Why isn’t your union allowing its members to vote on the current offer?
December 17th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I don`t owe you a response but I will give it anyway - I am home at those hours because we are expecting our child in the coming days. I will take advantage of the time off to be with my family. Time that OC Transpo certainly would not have helped me attain. Regardless - the time I present myself on the picket line is my business.
You all clearly missed the point - the mock booking is not in the offer. In fact there isn`t even a new offer - it is simply the same offer with 600$ more bribe money. You people that want to trash me - well you really motivate me to worry about you and your family - surely I am hurrying back just for you with you insults and threats. When this is all done you will see that it was your City that caused, wanted and ended this work stoppage. Best of luck.
I thank you for your support.
December 17th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
And the answer is yes - i would gladly waive the increase offered in order to protect the scheduled day that I`ve earned. I am not paid a single cent more than I work and enjoy that I`ve earned a spread time around the 12 hr mark and would not accept adding another 1.5 hours to that coupled with getting only 6.5 hrs. That none of you see this as an attempt to force part time work is awful. I am not fighting, striking or arguing for money here. Money is easy - your mayor is throwing it at us with a supplement that wasn`t requested, he`s even willing to up it after it`s overwhelming rejection. Your ignorance is slightly more apparent then your arrogance.
I am a tax payer and transit user in this city as well - the argument of who pays my salary or whether I have the right to pose questions to my mayor are just plain silly.
IF THE CITY WOULD ACCEPT THE MEDIATORS PROPOSAL TO NEGOTIATE SCHEDULING RATHER THAN TABLE A LAST TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT OFFER WE WOULD BE DRIVING - IN FACT THE STRIKE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED ALL TOGETHER.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Bus drivers: Let me tell you something, for all us regular people out there, if we don’t like our schedule - WE FIND ANOTHER JOB!!! If we don’t like our pay, we FIND ANOTHER JOB!!! If we don’t like our benefits we FIND ANOTHER JOB!!!….get it?
Pull your heads out of your unionized a**es and take a look around. Companies are laying off and demoting employees left and right because of the upcoming recession and you have the audacity to say no to a 7% wage increase?!? There are more and more low-wage jobs being lost in the retail sector because of your selfishness - you should be happy you even have a job that pays as ridiculously as yours does.
As far as I’m concerned Mayor Larry, pull the offer off the table, fire them all, fold OC Transpo and start from scratch and make the new OC Transpo an essential service….maybe then these overpaid, grumpy old men and women will get what they deserve.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Noah,
~~~
You people that want to trash me - well you really motivate me to worry about you and your family - surely I am hurrying back just for you with you insults and threats
~~~
Your attitude is the reason people despise the ATU and its members.
Get your head out of your a$$ and consider the bigger picture and why the citizens of Ottawa do not feel the city needs to bow down to the demands of your members.
Driving a bus is not difficult. No formal education is required, your skills do not need to be upgraded on a continuous basis, and quite frankly, most OCTranspo drivers have no social skills.
What hospital will your wife be giving birth at? Maybe we can set up a picket at the entrance and let 1 car in every 15 minutes upon your arrival.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
To Gordon’s post of Dec.17 at 4:53 PM.
I did not say that if one OC Transpo union goes on strike, then the company should lay off all other employees. I said that, if the buses are not running, then any non-striking OC Transpo employees who have no real work to do should be laid off. If one small union, such as CUPE 5500, were to go on strike, then OC Transpo management should fill in for them and keep the buses running. That is what would happen in the private sector and that is the standard that should also apply in the public sector.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
GO NOAH GO!!!
December 17th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
This to genius Nick - Transit industry is at an all time high and going up still more. All the reasons you list are only helping the cause.
Again - thank you for your support.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Noah Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
“I am home at those hours because we are expecting our child in the coming days. I will take advantage of the time off to be with my family. Time that OC Transpo certainly would not have helped me attain.”
-May I suggest reading this:
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/guide/guide_11.html
Noah Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
“When this is all done you will see that it was your City that caused, wanted and ended this work stoppage.”
-Actually it was the members of your union who choose to vote to strike. Okay, you got me, I’m guilty… I wanted you to strike so the roads would be a safer place for me.
BTW, one of your union members was quoted as saying that you guys (and gals) did not want the $2000 bonus and if it was offered, it would be refused so if you guys (and gals) finally come to an agreement and that monetary bonus is in there, since the drivers don’t want it, care to send it my way to help me with the hardships I am dealing with due to being injured simply from being a passenger on an OC Transpo bus?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be greedy, I just thought since you didn’t want it, and it was the result of being a passenger that left me in my current condition that you may want to show the people of the city that you do care about them, because I could really use it to get those collectors off my back and get my kids some food and even some gifts for Christmas (perhaps even for the birthdays which passed that I had no money to buy them anything too!).
*cue John Lennon’s ‘Happy Christmas’ here.
Merry Christmas, Noah.
To you, your family, friends, and other loved ones.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
To Melanie_D : You are obviously either married to a bus driver or you are a striking worker yourself! “You people” are just so selfish - it’s all about you and your striking brothers and sisters isn’t it Melanie? Well - be ready for one long long strike because we are saving 3 MILLION DOLLARS every week that you are out on your picket lines! You and your brothers and sisters do not even deserve the current salary and benefits that you are receiving - let alone a new increase! To Mayor O’Brien : DO NOT SETTLE WITH THIS UNION !!!!!!!!!!!!! They wanted this strike and they got it - and now they can live with the consequences of their action!
December 17th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
How about something more radical? How about reducing consumption of non-essential goods… It’s difficult to shop and go out without buses anyway. A sacrifice through a hit to our local economy would push the city to act for the majority of its citizens.
Local public transportation should be considered as an essential service when it is part of the daily lives of so many citizens.
One last thing… why do we allow bus drivers to attain such high salaries?
December 17th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
At least CUPE has some brains to negotiate with the city behind closed doors unlike the ATU that negotiates with the city in the open through the media. There have been calls to go to arbitration to settle the strike. If we go to arbitration, its going to side with the union, and we cannot have the union run our city with their agendas. Mr. Cornellier is not acting like a union leader. Instead, he is acting like a dictator who is trying to prolong this strike with his negative attitude toward the media, and hidden agenda where he did not allow some of his union members to see and vote on the city’s final offer.
Melanie D - Although I do agree that the drivers cannot be fired since they are in a legal strike position, you should keep your comments to yourself. I take offence to your comments that people here are self-centered, and selfish. If you don’t like the way the city is run, you shouldn’t live here. Clive Doucet is one councillor that does not have a brain when it comes to dealing with certain issues around the city. He should also keep his comments to himself, and let the Mayor, City Manager, and OC Transpo General Manger deal with the media concerning the strike, and trying to get the union back to the bargaining table.
My advice for the Mayor is stay firm on the city’s final offer, and do not let the union cave in to run the city.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:55 am
What would it take to put the an offer to a vote? I have no doubt that if the latest offer were put to a vote, the ATU members would accept it. I can’t bash the drivers, the ATU wasn’t clear about what they were voting on last round. I can’t bash the city, the offer makes sense. I don’t believe most of the drivers want to be sitting out on this issue and would rather return to work. I must say though, my son was more mature at 5 years old about negotiating and accepting a “No” once in a while, than the ATU is today. So, given that the city is dealing with the equivalent of a 2 year old baby, I ask again, what will it take to put the offer to a vote? Larry, it it takes even a small change to the scheduling changes, make a small change. But I don’t agree that the scheduling issue should be removed from the offer altogether.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:26 am
You were able to have an agreement with thie OC transpo union but please please please don’t wait for the driver union to come forth since they won’t and this city can’t continue into the new year without buses. Please use a mediator and come to an agreement with the union. Or bring a proposal forward to the federal government to make the buses and essential service.
This is your time to show the city what type of major you are.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Please put the buses back onto the road…Those dependent on the bus as their sole source of transportation have been forced us to put their lives on hold, as they are simply not able to get to where they need to go.
Due to the stubborness of Both the ATU and our City, all people reliant on public transportation have been, essentially “grounded”. The transit riders are being punished the most due to this strike.
It is social injustice, as the youth, elderly and those who simply cannot afford a vehicle must suffer due to the stubbornness and callous of four highly paid individuals who are clearly Not bearing the brunt of the strike.
I don’t care if it’s a “matter of Principle”, no principle is worth the hassle - the trauma, the punishment being imposed on Ottawans dependent on transit.
Resolve this, Now! So I can have my life back.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Hey Noah - please continue to enlighten us, and while you’re at it, maybe let everyone know what level of education you have attained. Just curoius.
December 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
http://www.ottawatransitstrike.com
December 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
dear Readers At first it was 13.5 million in savings then it was booking control then it was 8 million in savings then it was a hear say on safety.Well if it was 13.5 millions in savings per year>It boils down to 3.5 million divided by a population of 850 000 equals $4.11 per resident per year.It cost me more than that in gas to get to work.What kind of Thinking does the Mayor have
December 19th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Why when the city wants to save money are there 60 OC Transpo supervisors working during the strike when there is no one to “supervise”
90+special constables still working???Doing what?
Booking department still working???Who are they booking???
All these employees should be laid off “SHORTAGE OF WORK”
Instead the city is wasting money paying these employees to do nothing
December 20th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Hi,
I can not believe the number of drivers calling the radio station saying that they are not really sure why they are on strike?
Grow up ……..cut out the nonsense and stop voting in favour of strike if you do not want one.
The harm has been done…..just too many strikes and rude drivers before strikes.
For the drivers to say, we didn’t quite understand, just doesn’t cut it.
Sad, but true.
Losses for the citizens should come out of Union Funding and Driver’s Salaries and not my tax money. They hurt us four and five ways and wonder why many have such a low opinion of them
December 20th, 2008 at 10:53 am
The reason you people…our passengers and the public have a low opinion of us drivers is simple….THE MEDIA
The media has always hated oc transpo drivers and gives the public onlyt one side of every story. For all the good things OC drivers do on a daily basis MANY being above and beyond the call of duty, the media never touches these stories
Like Brother Noah says
http://www.ottawatransitstrike.com
SAD BUT TRUE
December 20th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
A lot of people here are passing judgement on things hey have heard about, but have no real knowledge about issue:
1. This present system was negotiated in the1990’s and the city knew it would lose 3million a year, but the ALL drivers at the time took a 2% decrease in pay. If they want to go back to the old system, fine then return the 2%, you can’t have it both ways.
2. The operators don’t make the schedule. Management (planning department) makes the shifts (runs, start and finish times) NOT the drivers. The drivers with most seniority gets to choose, what shift they want first . CALL OCTRANSPO find out .
3. myself as junior driver, knew if we were to strike, it would be in DEC. The city or OCTRANSPO management must have knew this as well. They could have locked us out in summer. So come, 7months to work on a contract and now they are going to do it in two days.
you guys hate us that ur right, but first know about the facts and not just what you hear on the radio .
December 20th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
The Mayor is telling the public that this is a system not used anywhere else, that Ottawa is unique.
What the Mayor is not telling the public is that other city workers, including Ottawa’s paramedics, use a similar system for scheduling their work – a system that allows the more senior worker to select his/her hours. The Mayor is not telling the public that other workers in the transportation industry are allowed to bid on work according to seniority. For example, airline employees across North America select the type of plane and the routes they fly entirely on the basis of seniority. Also, conductors, engineers and serving staff on trains across North America select routes and times by seniority – serving staff can even bid on which train car they work in. Alain Mercier, the head of OC Transpo, will be familiar with the application of seniority, having been a senior manager in charge of maintenance at VIA rail for many years.
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Keep it up city of Ottawa, do not give in to the A.T.U 279!
They need to learn a lesson on calling a strike just before x-mas….
Larry we are with you! do not let OCT push ottawa around!
OCT drivers, you should be ashamed, can you think of the needs of many for the wants of a few!
OCT drivers if you do not like your job move along many in ottawa with degrees would love to make 20+ a hour…..
Hope it’s col out for the picketers!
December 25th, 2008 at 3:15 am
To Jeff and all the other idiots. You think driving a bus is easy? Ridiculous traffic/schedules, aggressive cars and a steady influx of the socially maladjusted, people like Jeff. You think the bus driver has a life of luxury and ease, please by all means apply. I doubt you have the spatial acuity or wherewithal to conduct a 60 foot vehicle safely.
To Kevin Shea, you think the union wanted this strike??? If you can see beyond your low sloping brow for a moment, can you not see how it is the city who wanted this strike. What benefit does this strike afford the union? Enraging the small brained populace? Perhaps the 3 million dollars a week the city is saving doesn’t register for you as being beneficial for the city. This strike was designed by the city to save money, split the union, and vilify bus drivers. Unfortunately, in this city, there are many who gobble up whatever the media, or their corrupt leaders spew.
December 25th, 2008 at 7:29 am
I look at all the comments here and it makes me sick. Some blame the union others blame the city. Drivers are being bashed like I never seen in 30 years of service I did with O.C.
How about we look at who is being affected here by this strike. It is the public and a lot of business people are going to lose there livelyhood if this keeps up. Drivers are suffering also in this mess.
If the Mayor had accepted the mediators report in the first round of negotiations, this strike would have been averted. He did not and the Union was more than willing to accept it. Why did he not and keeps avoiding the question when asked.
Let us all put pressure on the Union and the Mayor to get this problem resolved as quickly as possible. One thing people have to understand which is very important is that the drivers do not trust the management at Oc Transpo in any way shape or form. This has been going on for at least 20 years. The organization went from a very good employer to one of the of the worst in a short span of 20 years. There lies the problem.
They said they made a mock booking and there was no real change for the drivers. Ya right I can see what criteria they used.
Negotiations are a give and take on both sides and yes the economy sits right in the middle of all this.
To settle this I think a fair offer would be 3 percent the first year ans 2 percent the next tow years. Also it should be included that both sides sit down and take a good look at the booking procedure for the next three years and TRY to come to some sort of resolution.
The bonus for the drivers is a big thing here. Think for a minute why would an employer offer 2000 dollars as a signing bonus if the offer is that good. Again a trust issue develops. Dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit only makes him run faster towards his demise.
Just to let you know also most drivers are well educated in this organization and in reality they do not like a strike but sometimes it is the only avenue they have to right a wrong.
Take it easy people and look at all the facts before you make a statement please. I worked with these people for a lot years and they are good responsible people they really are.
December 25th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Noah you might as well stop arguing with the people. They have no understanding of what the issue really is to the drivers. I am retired from OC, so shall we say I know what the fight is all about. Stand strong for your quality of life. The city wants this fight. They are saving 3 million a week. So now 9 million has been saved. I guess another couple of weeks and they will have what they want.
Good luck to you and all my brothers and sisters in the Union.