Pending Transit Strike [MRG]

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by fotze

Well at least they are telling us about it beforehand. The last couple weeks have been crap, I've had to walk home most nights because the bus just keeps coming jam packed and not stopping. One arsehole drives by with a nice empty bus, looks at all of us smiles and switches it to out of service, one guy started screaming obscenities at him. I think this city wants to frustrate people into driving and paying 30 bucks to park.

I live on what is probably the worst route in the city, the #1, and I've never had an issue with Transit. They're maybe late once in a while, but that's it. People don't just drive by me.

[fredr123]

I concur with fotze. I catch the bus in the morning at 78th ave nw and centre street. The 62, 64, 3, 301, 162 and others all "stop" there. I say "stop" because there are plenty of times when buses will cruise by without stopping. Sometimes you wait for 2 or 3 to go by before you find one with enough room to get on.

Sometimes you wait because dinkus drivers refuse to let anyone else on when clearly there is more capacity. I've been on buses where they won't let anyone on after all the seats are taken. Plenty of standing room available but no stoppy.

During peak times in the past, I've noticed buses not stopping but usually they were pretty clearly at capacity. Since the job action began a couple months ago, the frequency has been increasing in my opinion. Perhaps it's due to fewer buses as drivers refuse overtime. Maybe it's due to some of the more militant drivers deciding to cause as much disruption as possible. Either way, it's frustrating and makes me a grumpy guy when I get into work most mornings.

On the other hand, I was on a bus last week leaving the downtown core where one driver took a different approach. Rather than irritating customers to make a point to the City, he refused to take people's fares when they got on. That was a welcomed suprise... even though I have a monthly pass and couldn't benefit.

[someguy51]

I just booked Friday off work to avoid the whole mess. I really hope it is only going to be a one day strike.

I thought I might as well take the day off because I got an extra week vacation this year. All my working life I have never had more then 2 weeks vacation. Just had my one year anniversary at my new job and they upped it to 3! (In contrast I worked my old job for 4 years with only 2 weeks).

[ken0042]

Yeah, fortunately Friday is one of our designated days off. I am driving these days, but I can just imagine the traffic chaos.

[KevanGuy]

Instead of stopping service at 3 a.m. Friday, workers will walk off the job at 12:30 p.m. Friday.

The reason for the change is that the union was forced to declare 72-hour strike notice, which was faxed to the city Monday afternoon.
However, according to the Labour Relations Code, strike notice cannot be faxed in, it must be hand delivered.

What a bunch of morons. The City must have had a good laugh over that one.

[Roy Keane]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

What a bunch of morons. The City must have had a good laugh over that one.

I don't think the city will be laughing on Friday when it hosts the Municipal Affairs Conference and it's own transit union is on strike.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Instead of stopping service at 3 a.m. Friday, workers will walk off the job at 12:30 p.m. Friday.

The reason for the change is that the union was forced to declare 72-hour strike notice, which was faxed to the city Monday afternoon.
However, according to the Labour Relations Code, strike notice cannot be faxed in, it must be hand delivered.

What a bunch of morons. The City must have had a good laugh over that one.

Classic!

Another egg on the face of the stupid union

[Antithesis]

What will you call it when the city looks bad when it hosts the Municipal Affairs Conference on Friday and there are no buses or trains operating, and huge traffic jams throughout the city?

[Julio]

I just got called by Ipsos-Reid and did a survey on the transit situation. Anybody else? And I wonder who commissioned it, the city or the union. Usually you can spot in a long survey the bias, but this one was only a few minutes, and the questions seemed pretty bias free.

[MatsNaslund]

What a bunch of morons. The City must have had a good laugh over that one.

Sounds good until you consider that if there is a strike at 12:30 p.m. will they not just abandon all buses and trains wherever they are at that time with passengers on board? What a mess that will be.

The other thing to consider is that while everyone might get to work in the morning, what about going home ?

[KevanGuy]

Originally Posted by MatsNaslund

Sounds good until you consider that if there is a strike at 12:30 p.m. will they not just abandon all buses and trains wherever they are at that time with passengers on board? What a mess that will be.

The other thing to consider is that while everyone might get to work in the morning, what about going home ?

Ooohhhh scary stuff. What will happen!?!?!? People will be left dieing in the streets!!! Gimmie a break. Half of downtown probably isn't going to bother going to work anyway. And I'm pretty sure people won't be fired cause they couldn't get a ride HOME.

I wonder how many of the FCM delegates are within walking distance of the conference? I'd bet the ones that aren't will be picked up and brought back by the city.

I think it is great the Union is willing to piss off the general population. Less public sympathy for a Union is always a good thing.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Ooohhhh scary stuff. What will happen!?!?!? People will be left dieing in the streets!!! Gimmie a break. Half of downtown probably isn't going to bother going to work anyway. And I'm pretty sure people won't be fired cause they couldn't get a ride HOME.

I wonder how many of the FCM delegates are within walking distance of the conference? I'd bet the ones that aren't will be picked up and brought back by the city.

I think it is great the Union is willing to piss off the general population. Less public sympathy for a Union is always a good thing.

LMFAO!!one!!!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Ooohhhh scary stuff. What will happen!?!?!? People will be left dieing in the streets!!! Gimmie a break. Half of downtown probably isn't going to bother going to work anyway. And I'm pretty sure people won't be fired cause they couldn't get a ride HOME.

I wonder how many of the FCM delegates are within walking distance of the conference? I'd bet the ones that aren't will be picked up and brought back by the city.

I think it is great the Union is willing to piss off the general population. Less public sympathy for a Union is always a good thing.

[MatsNaslund]

Ooohhhh scary stuff. What will happen!?!?!? People will be left dieing in the streets!!! Gimmie a break. Half of downtown probably isn't going to bother going to work anyway. And I'm pretty sure people won't be fired cause they couldn't get a ride HOME

Laugh now but when it gets to be weeks and months it will effect even people who don't take Transit.

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by MatsNaslund

Laugh now but when it gets to be weeks and months it will effect even people who don't take Transit.

This time it's only for 24 hours.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by MatsNaslund

Laugh now but when it gets to be weeks and months it will effect even people who don't take Transit.

When? The union is talking 24 hour walkouts.

[Roy Keane]

The union should do it like they did it last time, go on strike right at the start of February and leave people walking in -30. Guaranteed you'd get more complaints from voters to their aldermen that way. Summertime, people can walk, bike, skateboard etc to work.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Roy Keane

The union should do it like they did it last time, go on strike right at the start of February and leave people walking in -30. Guaranteed you'd get more complaints from voters to their aldermen that way. Summertime, people can walk, bike, skateboard etc to work.

I don't know how much good that would do. For every person calling up saying "give in to the union", there will be 10 saying "fire them all". This is Calgary, after all, and not Caracas. This isn't exactly a union town and "walk to work" is out of the question for probably 200 thousand people.

On the other hand, I don't blame for trying to get whatever they can. That is what the rest of us do. The "24 hour strike" idea is a good move on their part. It demonstrates how vital they are without effing up the whole town for two months.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Roy Keane

The union should do it like they did it last time, go on strike right at the start of February and leave people walking in -30. Guaranteed you'd get more complaints from voters to their aldermen that way. Summertime, people can walk, bike, skateboard etc to work.

Since when has Calgary ever been union friendly? Most people downtown in the towers I work in I've talked to are PO'ed at the union (insert plural derogatory word of choice) as suddenly their ability to work is compromised. And it's not "their alderman" they'll be directing their venom at....not in this town.

Which begs the question, with the scarcity of employees right now, if transit workers are worried about a few bucks, why not switch employers? With the union warning this could be a long strike, I suspect ATU membership will do just that.

Given your general tone in this thread, lets clear things up - are you union? ATU?

[Barnes]

Way to show them union! Can't even file paper work on time. What are they going to do now? If I get on a train at 12:15 are they going to stop halfway between Heritage and Southland and make me get off?