I really think unions are too quick to strike these days - a hundred years ago, when the labour movements were building their strength, they had a whole arsenal of ways to make management aware of their displeasure, and the strike was the "big gun" you only brought out when it was really needed. Now, though, they seem to have forgotten everything but the strike.

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Unless you're talking about the workers firing their bosses and taking over the means of um... transportation, then I suppose you mean work slowdowns.

And when you're discussing the TTC and work slowdowns, isn't that the opposite of an oxymoron?

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In addition to slowdowns, there's work-to-rule, refusal of overtime, "blue flu" (where everybody - or a specific subset of the workforce - calls in sick), informational pickets, and other options that don't involve disrupting the city's transit links. And that's just off the top of my head - I'm sure a half-dozen experienced union personnel should be able to come up with other things to get their point across without supremely pissing off the entire population of Toronto in the process.

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Just a point of contention: They gave 90 minutes notice.

Now with that aside, the TTC has made a grievous error here. There is no way that the TTC should have ever been allowed to strike. In this day and age, there are many ways to negotiate with an employer, and a strike is no longer relevent...at least in this case, anyway.

Good on Premier McGuinty and MPP's Tory and Hampton for drafting back to work legislation. Get to it!

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I retracted a post I made earlier in reply to shigil commenting on the other TTC related entry ... as, after reading a bit more about the subject, it just became too damn obvious I really don't know enough about TTC/Canadian work situation to say much.

But, then as now, I disagree with the idea that strikes are inherently bad, that it's a thing of the past or that a strike that actually hinders and impacts on people's everyday life has to be negative. Sometimes making a point means and requires disrupting everyday life.

The moment strikes, demonstrations and public protest are no longer "relevant" will only be if we move to some form of Utopian society - or alternatively to a society that's moving (even further[?]) away from democracy. Just - don't revoke a tool of protest and highlighting a (whether it is real or perceived, with just cause or not) problem that would otherwise just never receive attention. There might be a point where you will be part of a group that needs to fall back on that.

[And please, please, please don't lose a sense of empathy through all that. No-one will know what the opinion of this or that TTC worker one might run into (when all has blown over) the issue really is - unless there's civil discussion. Remember - a union can only work if it's members act in ... well ... union.]

That being said - I really don't know the situation. In general though ... see above :).

-C.

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90 minutes or 30 minutes is still unreasonably short notice. Esspecially compared to the original 48 hours they said they were going to give the city. Even a few hours notice, leaving people stranded downtown is just plain wrong. They should have at least finished the service for the night then closed the doors not to be opened the next day. I think if they had done this, the backlash would have been substantially less. This whole closing at midnight with short notice to save their employees from abusive consumers is either a bunch of bull or their ringleader ain't too bright. They way they've handled things has only made people in Toronto angry and frustrated with the TTC.

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I was told of the strike by a TTC worker at 12:45 in the morning who was yelling that the service was down and told me to listen to the radio when I asked him what happened.

I would not want to be a TTC worker come Monday.

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UR DOIN IT WRONG indeed. I'm sorry, I even supported better wages and health benefits until they did this.

Now I think all offers should be redacted and that they should be ordered back to the job, with the ringleaders put on the Jane/Finch/Appalling loop to be spat on and assaulted for three months. Also, I've cancelled my metropass.

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I really would not have liked to been one of those people downtown late at night when the strike happened.
How is the city functioning without TTC?! I can't even imagine it.

Won't comment on the strike though since I know little about it.

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re: safety: you have to see this image my friend made:

http://pics.livejournal.com/exsanguinated/pic/000254b3/

she also made this one:
http://pics.livejournal.com/exsanguinated/pic/00024566/

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yup, pretty much...

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