Tentative OC Strike Date. Dec. 10.

[rubberdinghy]

Write, call, email your councillor, Daddy Warbucks (aka L.O.B.) or whomever you want.

If they city doesn't give us a reasonable deal by next Wednesday, you might have to start pounding the pavement.

Send me some no strike vibes folks, I don't want to be transitless either!

[Velvet]

What's a reasonable deal?

[Basher]

Dude, relax.

[Hartamophone]

Stop panicking, Basher. You don't even live in Ottawa.

[Booche]

Dude, relax.

[Velvet]

I may have sounded snarky. I meant is it wages, or security, or benefits...what's the main thing you guys are pulling for?

[Booche]

Nothing snarky there Velvet. Its an inside-board/bored joke with the "Dude, relax" comments.

Your original question is quite valid.

[ollie]

I ride the STO!

[rubberdinghy]

I may have sounded snarky. I meant is it wages, or security, or benefits...what's the main thing you guys are pulling for?

Wages, sick days, and seniority are the main things.

The city offered us a 2.7% raise for 2008, 2% for 2009 and 2% for 2010.

They won't budge on re-instating 6 sick days that we lost last contract.

They want to change the way we schedule our work. Basically the seniority we have will go out the window. After 5 years of working weekends, I finally got them off six months ago. With this new contract I would basically lose any chance of having weekends off for the next 5 more years.

Also, all overtime would be removed, and senior drivers won't have the choice to work long days with more days off. All schedules will be chosen by the company to remove certain incentives we currently have.

EG. I work 8:12 everyday. That 12 minutes I get as overtime. My schedule would be adjusted over the week so I won't get that 12 minutes everyday, but only a max of 40 hours a week.

So in other words my seniority that allowed me to pick a shift with those extra 12 minutes will be gone.

Also...an apparently broke city offered us a $1400 signing bonus. That's $3.2 million dollars they'd have to pay out in a lump sum.

Apparently they made another offer late last night.

[Schwa.]

That didn't sound snarky Velveeta.

I pictured this:

Crowd of strikers: "GIVE US A FAIR DEAL!!"

Bus Company: "What sort of deal do you want?"

Crowd of strikers: "WE DON'T KNOW, BUT IT BETTER BE FAIR!!"

[peipunk]

A mild consolation to a strike would be more Rubberdinghy posts around here?

[rubberdinghy]

I don't know, if we do get a signing bonus I'll be off to by meself a new flatscreen TV!

[rubberdinghy]

I should tell you what we are asking for:

2008 3.5% 2009 3.5% 2010 3.5% (with retro pay to March 31st 2008)

12 sick days

leave our booking process the way it is now

no signing bonus

return of contracted out work to our membership

[rubberdinghy]

oh and 100% top up for WSIB in the case of a work related assault.

[Booche]

Greedy bastards!

[mattm]

Since you guys have better benefits and make more money than me (I'm a lowly computer programmer working in telecommunication research and development, or keyword, private sector), have more sick days, better incentives (I don't get overtime, I can work 80 hours in a week and still get the same pay and no seniority or job security either, I can walk in one day and find I lack a job), I think it kinda sucks that I will lose my ride and that me and steph will be hurt (since we depend on the bus to get such things as groceries and diapers and can't afford to cab).

On top of that, I'm constantly missing busses because the first bus is late and I just miss the second bus (i.e. the 160 in kanata is always at least 5 minutes late which means I always miss the 96 at eagleston since the 160 has to be on time to make the transfer, I get to watch the 96 leaving every time, making my 1 hour journey about 1.5 hours or so). The 182 often doesn't even show up for some morning trips. My bus ticket prices keep going up but I haven't seen any improvement whatsoever since I moved here (it's still a bus, you still get on, the bus is still probably late and when you're at your stop, you still get off).

Granted, I think that bus drivers provide a great service and it's tough to drive a bus so I think you guys should be compensated adequately, it just sucks seeing people getting so much more than me (especially since my job also comes with a $30000 loan pricetag) and then bitching about it (especially when the result of that bitching means less money in my pocket than I'm getting now which is far, far less than those on strike).

My two cents. Sorry rubber, that's not something against you but sometimes I think that there's a time for things like this. When we're about to hit or are in a financial crisis and the people affected are the poor and those going on strike already make pretty damn good money for the job, it's kind of a pain in the ass.

[AD]

Since you guys have better benefits and make more money than me (I'm a lowly computer programmer working in telecommunication research and development, or keyword, private sector), have more sick days, better incentives (I don't get overtime, I can work 80 hours in a week and still get the same pay and no seniority or job security either, I can walk in one day and find I lack a job), I think it kinda sucks that I will lose my ride and that me and steph will be hurt

Granted, I think that bus drivers provide a great service and it's tough to drive a bus so I think you guys should be compensated adequately, it just sucks seeing people getting so much more than me (especially since my job also comes with a $30000 loan pricetag) and then bitching about it (especially when the result of that bitching means less money in my pocket than I'm getting now which is far, far less than those on strike).

so if you made more money than the transit workers you'd be ok with the strike?

Edited December 4, 2008 by Guest
emphasis added

[bouche]

How did the union accept the last offer that TOOK away 6 sick days? Now all of a sudden, that is a reason to strike?

I don't get it.

[Guest Low Roller]

Dear OC Transpo,

Please strike after my exams.

Signed,

the thousands of students that depend on your service.

[ollie]

It's no coincidence they are choosing a strike date that maximizes the inconvenience to the whole city, not to mention the upcoming World Jr. tournament which will attract global tourists. It's an obvious (and smart) move.

I worked through a bus strike when I had to commute out to the Bells Corners area. We car pooled and it was way better than taking the bus anyway. Get organized now if you think you might be affected.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

I'd be surprised to see mcuh support for this in the midst of the current economic climate

[rubberdinghy]

Unfortunatly, the membership was divided 3 years ago. 51% voted for the removal of the 6 sick days.

Our membership has changed greatly, some 400 drivers have retired since then I we have hired about 700 more.

The drivers close to retirement did not want to go on strike, so they could pad thier pay checks for thier last few months/years on the job. They had no problem giving up the 6 days when they have 8 weeks of holidays they could use up.

Also, folks were scared, due to the fact it was close to Christmas.

mattm, I chose the current field I am in and I know the consequenses that come with it. I pay union dues every month for a reason. So when contract time comes up, I have someone to fight for me.

I'm sure if you are unhappy with your job you could do something about it.

Also, have you ever emailed or called OC Transpo when buses are running late or connections aren't made. That is a big problem, nobody ever does. I see the report of customer complaints monthly. With the amount of daily riders we have, we only ever recieve about 200 unique complaints a months. That's about 4 trips on a packed 95. No wonder things never get changed.

Did I not give you and Steph a free ride the other day

[mattm]

so if you made more money than the transit workers you'd be ok with the strike?

Nope, since I'd still lose my ride and others who are much poorer than I am will also lose their rides. The strike means that to get diapers for little Trey we'll have to walk about 30 minutes or so to the store and back. If it's nice out, not so bad. This time of year, not so good.

The fact that they make so much more is just the knife being twisted inside my belly

Also, have you ever emailed or called OC Transpo when buses are running late or connections aren't made. That is a big problem, nobody ever does. I see the report of customer complaints monthly. With the amount of daily riders we have, we only ever recieve about 200 unique complaints a months. That's about 4 trips on a packed 95. No wonder things never get changed.

Yup, I used to call. The bus is not "officially" late until there's 5 minutes difference (same with early). When I used to take the 156 it would always be late or early and me and friends missed it constantly so we started calling and the usual response was that it was in some way our fault. Basically, giant defense of bus, no help for joe dude calling in (and we were nice the first few times actually thinking something might get done). I even called one time when the bus was over 10 mintues late (and I had been waiting) and the person on the phone argued with me that the bus was on time and on route, she just spoke with the bus driver...)

Edited December 4, 2008 by Guest

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Dear OC Transpo,

The other day I was late for work and scrambling to get on a bus, I was rifling through my pockets for change after getting on, panicing as I had a meeting to get to. The driver let a couple on the bus and said "Yooou guys don't have to pay, yo're cool" with a big smile on his face.

I didn't make my meeting.

[Schwa.]

I should tell you what we are asking for:

2008 3.5% 2009 3.5% 2010 3.5% (with retro pay to March 31st 2008)

12 sick days

leave our booking process the way it is now

no signing bonus

return of contracted out work to our membership

Translation: Cake and eat it too. I love Rubberdinghy, i hate unions.