Citizen Bytes

Hello. This person hit the nail on the head. I have lived in Ottawa for over 20 years, and I have seen lots of goverment fopaws, but never andything like this. It's like we live in a city that cares nothing for it's citizens, only the SMALL minority of bus drivers with more than 20 years of senoirity that don't want to give up a few hours of overtime.

These FEW drivers, that are making all this trouble. I think that we should privitze the buses. We get limited servie, rude drivers, that only care about a pay cheque than the people that pay their way. We are NOT getting service from the atu right now, and when they do go back to work, they will cut back transit use, because they don't have the passangers, because people are so fed up, they will use little, or not at all.

The union wants more money and less work, well they will get part of their wish, less work. If you don't like being a bus driver, QUIT!!! There are lots of jobs for drivers, they have experince, so get off you butts and look for another job. Nobody is forcing you to work. I have no job at this time, and I wouldn't mind getting over $18.00\hr. just to drive a bus.

The story is hard to believe: both Loblaws and Place d'Orleans turning away busloads of customers. Surely you can approach any reasonable coffee shop or restaurant in the area and they would be happy to be host to a shuttle bus of thirsty customers. Rather than complain about Loblaws, why don't you approach a business that actually wants customers?

I was just listening to the Ottawa at Six news, and would like to give my thoughts to the head of the OC Transpo Union. The Minister should have done something way before the 50th day of striking. Ottawa has no other means of transportation like Montreal or Toronto. It should be essential to have buses at all times.

I can understand the mayor of Ottawa, but he is the mayor. He should be able to decide any outcome of what is happening in his city. I agree that the buses schedule should change and I am behind the mayor. The only question that I have for all people involved is: HOW CAN YOU SLEEP ON BOTH EARS AT NIGHT IF NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED? DO THEY THINK THAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A DAY'S WORTH OF HELPING HUMAN BEINGS?

Both sides have to end thinking about themselves and take action on resolving this problem. It has cost some people more than we can handle.

What would CBC Ottawa report on if there was no bus strike. We KNOW there is a bus stike. We don't need idiots making up terrible songs and us being forced to watch same on the Evening News. We are also smart enough to know that if it snows, the traffic will be slower. Do they repeat this fact over and over so their own employees will understand???

The shuttles are great, but they're anything but "efficient and swift" and certainly not "frequent". I often wait half an hour and have waited up to ninety minutes for a shuttle to arrive -- and this in weather that sometimes dips to -20 or -25. Some of my classes are mandatory attendance, meaning that if I miss 20% or more, I automatically fail. In poor weather, it's unreasonable to walk such a distance.

The shuttles are necessary because right now, they are the only alternative to me failing a precious and expensive semester of school.

You voted them in, you got them. Endure.
You support the city's stance. Endure.
You want to take it to the end and finish the union. Endure it in the meantime.

But in the end... those opposed to the union are the ones to lose most.
There will be no retaliation, you will not get even. You will not feel like you've won or accomplished anything. The bus service won't improve; in fact longer the interruption continues, the longer the transition period to full service will be. Then, we'll have the same old service as before. This strike was more expensive than giving the union all it wanted. But you did what's 'right' -resit the union. Well, I say, enjoy the strike because it's your own making. Endure.

The express buses in Orleans will not run properly until the spring, so get used to an extra long commute for the next 100 days.

I am merciless with students because I want them to understand that their vote, their voice counts and it is important to vote those who give citizens a quality of life, not money for corportations.

On a larger scale, if our country gets run to the ground, because of fiscal neglect on the part of your elected officials, you are not entitled to complain. If you are stuck paying a ridiculous federal debt, and you supported those who ran up the tab, you are not entitled to complain.

Elect your level of risk, and assume the consequences. Don't complain when you are wounded. If you don't want to give in to the union, that's fine but don't complain. You have not a word to say even if the strike goes on until december.

Wow there are so many things wrong with this article that I don't know where to begin. First of all, I only can share the sentiment that this strike is generally annoying, and made worse by the bad weather, and thats all. But to call it inhumane and to say theres "a complete lack of happiness" and that "a cloud of despair, rife with turmoil" has descended on Ottawa is a ridiculous exaggeration and any grade 7 English class would teach not to use such statements.

Better yet as a psychology student you should be more perceptive than to use such meaningless hyperbolism. I hate to shock Ottawa(ians?), but no fundamental rights are being trampled on and to use such words to describe an unfortunate annoyance is an insult to all those fighting for legitimate causes. One of the major reason for the ATU striking is that the city wants to control over-scheduling and the city wants to put a cap on these over-paid bus drivers salaries.

In economic times like these, believe it or not, dollars and cents matter, regardless their salaries come from your tax dollars. Its unfortunate that the strike has gone on for so long, and negotiations on both ends have been mis-managed. As a fellow university student dependent on the shuttle service, I have been there for the pick-up location changes from the park-and-ride to the current mall location.

The Loblaws location never made any sense and the businesses had every right to complain, the smaller parking lot there was shared with a multitude of businesses and medical practices, and more importantly was the location for Orleans Urgent Care Center. Would you park in the bay of an ambulance? No! It doesn't make sense that patients who are there for medical needs should have to walk long distances to get to the centers, as well as potential parking spots for buying customers to be taken by idling cars waiting for the shuttle. Its a smaller parking area that caters to a busy business area, so therefore the spots are more coveted.

I have also stood at the Mall location, and I have seen none of the things you listed happen, NONE! Except that the doors do close, when the mall closes. No need to explain that. You are not entitled to be made comfortable, while you wait for the shuttle that the universities have graciously provided, or at least I missed that part in the Charter of Freedom and Rights. I am truly disappointed that CBC decided to use a barely literate, overly-entitled, unreasonable and simply illogical Barista (I use that a noun, and not as an adjective) to air the frustrations of an entire City.

Stop playing to peoples emotions, and try to reason with peoples logic and maybe people will be a little more understanding of the situation, and will help to reduce tensions. On a side note, I have been having a lovely winter so far.

During the last OC Transpo strike, about 10 years ago, I had the same disappointment like you. I was going to Carleton University at that time. It was another cold winter. Loooks like these unionized capitalist know winter is the best time to blackmail the general public.

Since the OC Transpo sold me a metropass and failed to service me for the whole month, I filed a small-clime case. In the court, there were about five or six people from the OC Transpo but I was the only person from my side. Still, I won the case and the OC Transpo paid me about $10.00 back. Though I had to spend several folds to get that money back, I did what I was able to do. I hope all the students do the same now - but I don’t think that will happen.

Or, at least rent a bus and run trips for a small pay, may be for a dollar. As now, that is against the law. But the main point here is to take away the monopoly from the public transit. That will put you in legal drama so you have to be ready for that.

Public transit is a low-end job but because of politics we pay high here.

Most probably, when the strike ends, the OC Transpo will give Ottawa a FREE RIDE for a day or two. Then things will be forgotten like the last time.

I feel the same way as you do. I'm really close to having a burn out now as well due to this unreasonable strike.
I'm a nursing student and we have to go to our clinical placements in the hospital and also in our community placements. It's extremely stressful enough that there's sooo much work to do for school, but I guess trying to find a ride almost every single day and worrying about not getting to our clinical on time and getting home is even worse. Every single day is one heck of a struggle.
Sigh.

Though I can't believe that that mall and even Loblaws would do that to the students. I must say what they are doing is just really disgusting and selfish. I'm definitely not shopping there ever again.

I admire those people offer rides to students and random strangers. I really am appreciative that at least there's still some sense of "community spirit" left. But to think that these huge business would not even offer a place to stay even just for a couple of min. argh!!!

I am tired of this strike, and I have a car, and a job that allows me to work from home and have flexible hours when I can get into the office. Though I am paid relatively well, the pinch on the pocket book for extra costs of gas and parking is catching up, and earlier hours at the office to avoid the additional traffic is exhausting. I really feel for these students and comment their dedication to get to classes.

I am disapointed in the city and the malls in Orleans who are not helping during this strike. Thus, I will not be using any of the Orleans mall's services until they become more supportive of their community, and ultimately - their consummers.

I can't believe people are referring to the bus strike as simply an "unfortunate annoyance" (e.g. Courtney). It's clear to see that any medium to large size city needs public transit to function.

It's impossible for our roads to accommodate every household driving a car every day, and it's impossible for every household to even afford a car. Do people like Courtney expect low income earners to walk 3 hours to school or work every day indefinitely? Or do you think they should all live beside their place of employment or school? It's not even geographically possible for everyone to do that.

The city can not function without public transit. Though not everyone sees its effects directly, the city is not functioning effectively right now and hasn't been since early December.

This is why it should be declared an essential service and OC Transpo should be legislated back to work.

This strike is trully frustrating. I too am suprised and fully supprt her attitude towards the business and management of the retail centres which support and are supported by their community. Tho it is a side note, it speaks to the heart of the strike's impact on ottawa. And also the impact of other strike's in the public service like that in toronto. Being the little guy against society at large is the place place the citizens , and likewise many students are being put in. Likemany of canada's growing homeless population, there is in public service strike's an ignorance of the destitute people that are put out by the clash of culture's between the employees and management. Management too puts employees in a destitute state when negotiating which is the purpose and origins of the labour movement and the functions of today's unions. People have power and people need to organize to have their voices heard. Imagine if all those living off government assistance formed a union like students in schools do . Would the homeless get housed? Would gangs go strait? Young people need to be shown that their frustrations are often shared , and their opiions can matter. This encouragement could bring to bear a force of reckoning on bureaucracy that is resistant to change. perhaps recent promises of cooperation with the conservatives will provide some accountability to the harper government where canadians, cities, provincies and territories can have common priorities and needs with which to organize top-down commitments to supporting health care&long term care , child care , and housing programs.
In this economy , its no accident that these strikes are co inciding in canada's recently underfunded and per-capita laden economy given its manufacturing heart .

BANG ON! While we are all suffering through this strike, I am appalled that the mall is treating university and college students like delinquents and gang members. Their efforts would be better served by providing donuts and free coffee and shelter in this terrible ordeal. Shame on the management of the mall and shame on those business owners who complained.

If this were an ice storm... things would be different. They would be allowing people to come in from the cold to warm up.

To Gustav-

OC should be recognized as an essential service. Wow, you feel just as entitled as the author of this ridiculous article. First of all, people shouldn't have to walk 3 hours to get to work, and the City is offering financial aid to those in those types of prediciments (For ex. Taxi chits are being offered to those of low income families and employees). Educate yourself before you come here and cry 'Woe is me'. Learn how the law works and what you need and are entitled to, and differentiate that from what you want. Life's not fair, so learn to deal or be left complaining about walking 3 hours everytime.

Peace!

I am angry that the Amalgamated Transit union, specifically Cornellier, used the people of Ottawa as levers to get what they want from a city struggling to balance its budget. Ultimately their demands will not be met by arbitration and their strike will have been fruitless. And all of the hardship endured by the citizens of Ottawa will have been pointless.
Good job, Cornellier. Did you lose your job as a result of this strike? I think maybe you should.