City Screws Union, Public

Article



The city's offer included a new scheduling system. In order to accommodate the increased ridership during the morning and afternoon rush, many drivers work split shifts, comprising several hours of work in the morning followed by a break and then several more hours of work in the afternoon. Under the current system, drivers choose the morning and afternoon shifts separately.

Under the proposed system, the city pairs the morning and afternoon shifts together, and they can be spread over up to 13.5 hours. In both systems, drivers with higher seniority get to pick their shifts first. The city alleges the new system will be fairer and more efficient. The union alleges it will take away from the drivers' ability to balance their work and personal lives.


Yeah , we're gonna make those union dogs work 13.5 hours a day whether they like it or not , thats our new system. Maybe three days in a row (41.5 hrs) if they're someone we hate , so they quit on us , it will be a great way to get rid of people. Hey, if we really don't like them , we can put the three days at the end of one pay period and another three at the beginning of the next and have them work 6 days in a row at 13.5 hrs / day. What ? They get 10.5 hours off to rest , whats the problem ?

Or we'll make them work mornings one day , afternoons the next, mornings the third, and so on and so forth. Mess up their sleep schedule so they can't sleep at all, thats also a good plan, we like it.

And yes , my work used to do this deliberately too, before I got sick and got on a fixed schedule. No wonder the union is ticked.

Just go back to the old system you idiots. You've taken away the buses from us for 30 days so far for what ? To make the drivers life better whether they like it or not ? And you're holding us hostage because you think you want to "make a fairer system for them" ????

Meanwhile I'm paying 20$ A DAY for taxi's and seriously considering walking one way (and it's over an hour walk) while listening to stories about people whom it would be closer to $60 if they had to taxi it.

The union is happy with the current system , you've already saved 12 million of the tax payers money (12$ per person , if you divide by the 1 million people in metro ottawa) while screwing me out of at least 240$ (I only work 3 days / week..not in the best of health) to save that 12$ for me, I think you should stop it now. I don't think I can take much more of you saving me money.

Just have that union negotiater force the old existing contract they already agreed to on everyone and send them back to work , thats my opinion.

Cause right now , it's the City holding us hostage , not the union. And they don't have to fold in their hand because they're saving money at our expense. They're trying to screw the drivers and they're definately screwing us over. And I resent it.

I'm making a list of people responsible for this Strike Fiasco. The mayors' the top of the list for ramming this down our throats of course, but I'm throwing in the City Solicitor on the list as well because when the union sent them a letter to try and explain their view he started looking around to see if he could sue them or otherwise take legal action for them doing that.