Early in the day, Premier Dalton McGuinty called on the workers to respect their collective agreement, but said he was not prepared to consider declaring transit an essential service "in the heat of the moment."
As Toronto Sun reader Andy Manko pointed out in a letter today, "if mass transit is not an essential service to the city of Toronto, could you please tell us just what is?" The Sun editor rightly joined in, "Especially in Monday’s heat".
So just like Caledonia, laws were broken but who's going to pay for it?
Rob Granatstein of the Sun's City Hall Bureau asks these questions:
Who’s going to jail?
Who’s going to be fired?
Who’s going to be demoted?
Who’s going to be fined?
Who’s going to pay?
Yesterday’s wildcat strike by TTC workers was not just illegal — it was dangerous, irresponsible and unconscionable. Unlike a legal strike, there was no warning this was coming.
It was very dangerous because ambulances, police and taxis were caught in the gridlock and women were forced to hitchhike with no other alternative available.
Our ostrich of a Premier spent yet another day with his head stuck in the ground. And that's called leadership?
Update: Looks like the strike didn't bother one Toronto commuter too much.
22 comments:
no one should be surprised; if it doesn't involve crying about money, lying about not taking more money, or cooking the books to make it look like the gov't has no money this gelding of a "leader" is not interested.
Ouch! But so true...
…and women were forced to hitchhike with no other alternative available.
Are you perhaps insinuating here that McGuinty (who makes you SICK) was exposing women to the threat of rape? If not, what are you suggesting by this remark?
I am suggesting that it was a dangerous situation. What's your point?
…and women were forced to hitchhike with no other alternative available.
It appears that those who choose to live a life of absolute fear will make doom and gloom hay out of every mundane situation they can lay their paranoid little hands on.
The strike ended at 3pm. I do not think there is much danger of walking the streets of Toronto in the day light.
Getting to work was a problem. People with medical appointments were having trouble getting there. People with allergies and breathing conditions were forced to hoof it.
Toronto is a city that relies on it's public transit system to the extreme. When it's down, it cripples the city.
However, the point here is who will pay for this? Anyone? Can a union break it's contract so easily and inconvenience 700,000 people without repercussions?
I was unaware that the TTC was a provincial responsibility.
It is my understanding that the provincial government can declare what is considered to be an essential service (ambulance, firefighting, etc.).
If anyone has any definitive information on this subject, please weigh in.
check out responsible working mom trying to insult me lol.. this is just too much entertainment
Jo you have my full permission to attack if you like,,, loll Zac I think you'd even get a bit peeved at this one... oh well all in the name of childcare
McGuinty is run by women with too many balls,,, they forgot who is who
Sara, I'm having trouble finding which post you are referring to?
You're right though, this IS too much fun! ;)
Sara, that "Responsible Working Mother" is some piece of work. IMHO, she almost sounds AFRAID of her kids! Her kids are probably lucky they don't see that much of her!
Which post is it Sara, I can't find this responsible working mom.
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19525397&postID=114849924788937668
http://workingmotherbacktalk.blogspot.com/
here is her post
Sara, I left a comment. ;)
I feel for your frustration at the situation BUT I don't think you can really make the connection that MqSquinty could have done anything.
However you could insist that charges be laid against the union and its members.
Does anyone know if a labour organization can be sued? If so maybe a class action suit could be started.
PGP - Well, I guess I was thinking that he could declare it an essential service, but on City TV at noon, the Toronto mayor said that apparently in New York they declared the transit an essential service, but there were strikes anyway.
David Miller said that stiking workers will have their pays docked, and the transit users with passes will receive credits, so I guess that's all that can be done.
Update: Ministry of Labour now called in. We'll see what happens.
As I pointed out over at Hespeler (akwardly, possibly), NYC Transit Union boss Roger Toussaint was handed a ten day jail term (he served three) for leading an illegal transit strike last year.
Here's a bet I'll take: A year from now, the legal issues pertaining to yesterday will not be solved. And nobody spends three days in jail because of yesterday.
I was pretty ticked waking up Monday morning finding out I had to find a different way to work instead of my usual 2 hour TTC ride to work. I have to admit, I did panic a bit!
Although the strike ended at 3pm, transit wasen't fully in service until 9:30. Which is a huge inconvenience when you hear it's up and running, but in fact, it's not in certain parts.
I believe transit is a provincial issue. Any major city should have provincial support for the public transit. It helps the environment, tourism and other things that affect our province.
Although I think it's a joke that they are even going to refund TTC pass holders, I do appreciate the thought behind that. I'll be trading my pass for the $4 on Monday.
Wow, thanks Michele, for weighing in on this! It's great to hear from someone who actually had to put up with this illegal walkout.
That's interesting that the full service wasn't actually working until 9:30. They sure didn't say that on the news. Especially the union wanted to make us all think this was so short-lived.
You're right about this being an important issue that the province needs to address. I never thought about it that way, but yes, Toronto is such a tourist city, and such a big part of the province's revenue comes from that sector. It isn't very professional looking to have these kind of antics going on.
From what I hear there is a lot of animosity between the union and management, so this might not be the end of it.
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