The LTC / Transit / ATU Local 741 strike is over, after a little over 70% ratification of the agreement set out Friday, December 11, 2009.
It lasted 29 days, however, the buses will not be running until all maintenance and certification has been done.
What did this strike mean?
The strike according to most of the Union Members I have talked to was actually forced by the City and the Commission. I have yet to hear what the reason for this would be, however, since I have seen London’s municipal government in action and I know some of the players within it, it won’t be long before the reason comes out and makes someone look stupid.
I won’t get into my personal feelings about or dealings with City Hall.
The strike according to the public statements made by the London Transit Commission and the Office of the Mayor is simply about greed and although she refuses to talk about the strike Anne-Marie has taken the side of the Commission (which is not separable from the city council since members of council are members of the Commission), made ridiculous accusations toward the Union president because of a public statement he made which is much less offensive and less damaging to women than at least a dozen things she has said publicly (not to mention her husband got drunk, drove, and then evaded police … maybe the “footsteps” she hears will be Mr. Best staggering up to her office to tell her he got another DUI, but I digress).
The Union got a little more money. This is a real sticking point for anyone with an education:
- Taking the moral High Road, the Commission (and mostly from the large mouth of the city) said that the Union was simply demanding more money.
- Being affronted by this, the Union stated that the only issues were that of safety, working hours, working conditions and such things as benefits when it comes to getting the crap beaten out of you while on the job.
- After 29 days, the Commission (read: City) offered money.
- After 29 days, the Union took that. Not much else was really addressed.
- People are sick of Anne-Marie, David, Larry and most of the people who are not Union because of this strike.
- People are sick of Pat and most of the people who are Union because of this strike.
Regardless of the outcome for any of these people, taxes WILL go up, fares are GOING UP in January, and all so we could spend money on taxis, carpooling, missed work and school, loss of income, loss of opportunity.
This is no joke: One of the restaurants downtown closed permanently because the foot traffic disappeared. A business which employed young men which were similar to casual labour had to be let go in favour of those with their own transportation. People who can’t (or shouldn’t) drive have had no way to get to work, save “illegal taxi”, walking for hours, or in the case of the unemployed looking for work, unable to get to interviews or even to job search facilities like WIL, Goodwill, HRDC etc. There are a lot of stories where people really were injured by this strike.
The strike that got the drivers and mechanics a 13% raise. I hope that they understand that holding 100 000 people hostage was not worth what they got. They would have had more support if they stayed on the job and got those 100 000 people with them.
Now, not only 100 000 bus riders in London are NOT behind them, but also another 100 000 or so who have had to cover for them, drive them, wait for them, suffer without them, babysit extra time for them … those people have had it with the LTC and the Union as well.
What is surprising is that Anne-Marie, Larry and Pat all think that they some how have clean hands. Each and every one of them is fully, jointly and severally responsible for screwing over half of London. That sounds like just enough votes to make a statement, I think.
London Speak