42 Replies to “New Canadian Unemployment Figures Out”

  1. Public Transit = Essential Service.
    No strikes allowed, ever.
    The price of job security for life and a no competition public granted work monopoly.

  2. It’s abolutely ludicrous how a transit union thinks it can hold a city in jeopardy.
    There’s plenty of laid off manufacturing workers in southern Ontario who’d love to grab a $25/hr job right now.
    Hell, if these laid off workers were going to work for PCS during their strike, why not save them the plane ride, and relocate them to run this greedy union into the ground?

  3. Although I didn’t peruse more than the most-recommended 50 or so comments on this CBC article, they seemed to be against the drivers union. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the commenters on this site usually lefties? Could this be an explicit example of relativism? Hypocrisy?
    I would really like to nail specific lefty commenters by name, but why bother; tomorrow, history starts again.

  4. I picked this comment off the CBC site regarding the Ottawa Bus Strike where the big issue seems to be about drivers wanting to set their own schedules. Well this explains why:
    OCtrans_DRIVER wrote: OK, I’ll spill the beans. When the OCT drivers talk about maintaining our standard of living we are referring to being able to continue to manipulate our own schedules so as to maximize our salaries for the year. How else do you think a simple bus driver can earn about $100,000 per year with just a high school education and two weeks of training. For example, if I arrange with a buddy to work a double shift, where the second shift is paid at 1.5 times normal rate, my buddy calls sick for, what would be, my second shift. I take over his shift, and I call in sick the next day while he does for that day what I’ve just done (why else do you think we also want more sick days, so we can pull this stunt more often). So now in a two days period I’ve earned (1.0 1.5)xnormal_salary instead of 2xnormal_salary. This is just one example of how we abuse the scheduling process, and we wish to continue to do so because it has become a way of life for us, and we do not want that taken away from us since it will reduce our standard of living. That is not so difficult to understand and agree with, now is it?

  5. National Post reports that Ontario elementary school teachers not happy with their offer, either.
    http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1158803
    “After walking away from a rich contract offer that provided smaller class sizes, more preparation time and a 12% wage hike over four years, Ontario elementary school teachers are headed toward a strike vote that could see them walk off the job as early as March.
    “On Thursday Mr. Clegg said the salary increase has always been acceptable.”
    “What derailed the deal were the conditions placed on the money by [the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association],” he said in his speaking notes.”
    Nice to know they weren’t thumbing their noses at the 12.55%…
    Kate, in other Not Waiting For The Asteroid news,
    the Post also reports that the Globe and Mail is likely to lay off unspecified number of staff…
    http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1160388

  6. Ontario teachers are always at odds with the government of the day. They are living in an alternate universe and have no friggin’ idea how the world works. We have a few of them living in our neighbourhood and these brain surgeons can’t even figure out how to clear their snow or start their cars after a cold snap or a snowfall.
    I’m not exaggerating either. They are totally useless as citizens of our community.

  7. Public transit is not an essential service. Many places survive without it.
    I am in Ottawa and want private bus companies to start creating their own, econonmical, routes.
    No need for strike breaking or anythin.

  8. I heard the CBC radio news at noon. The spin they put on the not so bad unemployment figures was the usual pretzel. (I changed the channel, I was so angry at these conniving jackals!)
    All the good news was qualified, e.g., they did report the positive number of new jobs that have been created in the past year, but then added that MANY more (I can’t remember the number) had been created in 2007. Huh? The Conservatives were in power in 2007! (I guess the CBC counts on Canadians’ ignorance: too bad, that’s not such a way out supposition.)
    I guess the deal is just to make things look as bad as possible, and as bad as possible for the Conservatives, by trying to make it look as if they’re somehow responsible for the present downturn.
    CBC: dangerous, lying fifth column.

  9. It’s incredible how, at this time in our economic history, government workers just want to give the finger to the populace. Sick.

  10. Now I gotta go wash my computer. I clicked on the link and wound up on the CBC site. Ewwww.

  11. It has not been noted that: “Drivers receive only strike pay while not at work, which is far less than their regular pay. However, drivers receive their paycheques for their work three weeks after that work has been done.”
    If I’m parsing the above correctly, it seems that Ottawa taxpayers are subsidizing the bus drivers during the first three weeks of their strike. This is bizarre, but it would appear that they have ‘negotiated’ a means to apply pressure on their employer by abusing the good graces of the taxpayer.
    In a sane world, once a strike is called it would be up to the union to begin rebating member’s dues back to them as strike pay – not after they’ve withdrawn services for three weeks while receiving a paycheque. What could one call this, other than an additional three weeks paid holidays?
    Where is our Ronald Reagan (air controllers) when we need him?
    On another note, the RCMP members have a complaint too. But I think it’s legitimate. A new RCMP constable receives $46K annually, while a transit cop receives $56K initially. Apparently, it’s not about the job – it’s about the union.

  12. Oh great. The Harper Government is coming to help us.
    This after he dismissed his parties vote on the CHRC’s. Disregarding liberal supporters for the bill, plus celebrities. With even the lefts dislike of the end of free speech. Yet he seems comfortable with the Fascists.
    So now he’s plying the wounded deficit man. Who has to heal the Canadian people of the so far none existent economic crisis. With our money, our taxes, our sweat to Corporations, Unions, & even the Porn industry in the name of a small recession. Just be an elite fat cat in the Canada‘s or a new immigrant , threes welfare cream in a scam called bailout for Billionaires . Money for nothing, because they debased the profit motive till its extinct almost. . Anyone but the middle class or real workers need apply. We pay for it all.
    The Strike is just the symptom of the biggest disease of this group of collective weasels. The entitlement generation in Lights!
    If they don’t get them the
    tantrums start, from bus drivers to Mp’s or party leaders. As well, those death in life wax statues. The Senate. Which of course Harper has stopped trying to Reform. Seems to me he has been Ottawashed to the 9nt degree. That or he was a Cuckoo’s egg from the beginning from the East. He has no intention of doing anything, majority or not.
    Frankly I have given up on politics. Not even going to vote. Why bother choosing my next Master when there all the same spineless , greedy jerks. Who’s only real love is power with privilege. Anyone here about Caledonia lately or has the gun registration has been killed yet? Gee the inaction is like sleep gas. The only way this Nation will survive. Is I have come to believe, from this generation of vipers with delusions of entitlements beyond measure. Is to do it ourselves. Politics is a barren road that mainly exists for itself plus allies or family. It is a thin reed to support the rights of citizens. Indeed they work to unde4rmind them. The sad thing is I’ve supported Harper threw just about everything. His approval with Support of the CHRC’s was the last straw. I had some reservations by certain actions before this deal with the devil. This just proves them. It also illuminates just how deep people feel they are owed freebies. Where to be all victims now.
    JMO

  13. There was traffic chaos in the capital for the first couple of days of the strike but it’s been impressive how quickly the city has adapted. Lots of people have made alternative arrangements for sharing rides, parking spots or telecommuting and I’m pretty sure lots won’t be going back to the bus ever.
    But by far the better thing to do if these people don’t want the jobs under the current offer is simply to open the same offer up to others. That really should be the rule for any public sector monopoly.

  14. What I find infuriating is that a number of these drivers and union reps actually live in Gatineau(Que).

  15. OC Transpo, the city-owned transit monopoly in Ottawa, needs to be privatized and their legal monopoly ended. Competition in public transit exists in other cities, including London, England. It works. It provides users with choice, results in innovations and forces all transit providers to be efficient. What is most disappointing is that no Ottawa municipal politician nor any Ontario provincial politian has yet to stand up and say that OC Tranpo’s legal monopoly will be terminated. The result is that OC Transpo drivers can reject all settlement offers by the city knowing that they will not lose their jobs to competition. Big government has created a big public sector monopoly that holds taxpayers to ransom. We can choose which airline to fly on, why not which buses to ride?

  16. Reminds me of when the wife went to work for Calgary CO-OP.
    Had to join the union.
    The starting pay was $7.35/hr in 2004
    During the orientation, she asked,
    “What do we need a union for?”

  17. I worked in an industrial setting many years ago. The first two days of sick leave were unpaid and then insurance kicked in. Even not being paid for a day it was felt you were further ahead by working a double shift, The first 4 hours were time and a half and the other 4 were double time. Rev. Can. got less that way. At that time you could order food in at company expense and guys would get a barrel of chicken each. Later they had a freezer full of TV dinners.

  18. ‘
    The pain being caused to the citizens of Ottawa is terrible. At a time when the rest of the country is just thankful to have a job these idiots turn down an offer better than most people get.
    These guys sense of entitlement is over the top.
    Fire Them All
    .

  19. First off, open up the bus only lanes, and the transit-way to cars. Only then would people realize we don’t actually have a traffic problem…..we absolutely need to do as some European cities have done, and sell these routes off to the highest bidder….studies have shown that this results in better on-time service, at a much lower cost.

  20. If scheduling is the only issue, then give them that, regulated overtime only AND NOTHING ELSE.
    My 3 children are in post secondary education and rely on Ottawa’s bus service. I have become the chauffeur. Luckily being self employed allows me to drive them around, but I’m on the go around the clock now. No benefits, no vacation pay, no stat holiday pay, no one to cover for you, work pretty much 360 days of the year. They should be grateful for what they are being offered.
    Maybe Gore or Suzuki should come to our rescue seeing as we are increasing our “carbon footprints”… Thank goodness for global warming or we’d all really be cold right now.

  21. mr. harperal is interested in powercorps generation of employment hmm at the expense of what?

  22. Cities want us to ride their transit systems in order to reduce pollution and c02 emissions.
    So we park our cars and become reliante on the transit system to get us to our jobs daily.
    Than they allow them to unionize and go on strike leaving a large % of the population trying to figure out how to get to work.
    Is it just me or is our system being run by people that have to wear hockey helmets on a daily basis.

  25. Let of bus drivers available when we have all those auto workers looking for jobs – 3 day course and we got piles of bus drivers and unemployment figures dive.

  26. Rona Ambrose allowed the city administration to drag her into this mess. Now what? There’s an awful lot of stuff sticking to her shoes now. She should have told them to get back to the negotiating table.

  27. When I read some stats re the new unemployment numbers I was shocked, absolutely shocked to discover that construction jobs were being lost. For all the years members of my family worked in construction trades it was referred to as seasonal employment. If they had jobs up to December it was great, usually finished in November. Started again around March.
    Not too many basements being dug in minus 30 weather, snowstorms etc, and not much cement being poured either.
    So, how many of the industries or business laying people off are seasonal.
    Farm workers would be another one, not much seeding or harvesting going on now.
    As for the CAW leadership, I hope you go on strike for about 6 months, save the companies enough money they don’t need a bailout, and jobs are moved to the US or offshore forever.
    Unions are not being supportive of this recession, or is that recession only in the minds of the beholders.
    It is time to ban and eliminate all unions in Canada.

  28. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Oh, please excuse me.. what I meant to say was ..
    AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I’ve been to the Philippines, where they have local bus service. They also allow private “bus” services (called ‘jipneys’) which are basically Jeeps with a cover over the back and two benches down the side. You jump on a jipney where you want, and you jump off when you want (Philippine traffic rarely moves at more than 20 km/hr, so the jumping part is actually safe). Don’t like the service you’re getting from one jipney (they all identify themselves by big nameplates on the front, including the memorable “Blowjob”)? Then don’t take it any more and switch to another.
    Contrast that attitude to York Region Transit, where on Thursday, I hustled out to the bus stop for the 8:39 bus by 8:35 (it might have been early, you know), and waited, in snow and -15 temps, until 9:02. Did the driver apologize for being late? Did he even say “Hello”? Not a chance; the surly b*st*rd barely acknowledged my ticket, and when I asked for a transfer, you might have thought I was asking for a kidney.
    Let them strike; just get RID OF THEIR MONOPOLY. Let private services pick people up and run them around, and watch the unions scream.

  29. The province of Ontario cannot come to Ottawa’s aid by legilating the drivers back to work since OC Transpo is an interprovincial service (it sends buses to Gatineau, Quebec) which makes it a federal issue. I, also, am infuriated because many of the drivers live in Gatineau and pay property taxes in Gatineau while expecting the taxpayers in Ottawa and surrounding areas to cover any extra costs resulting from their demands.

  31. ulianov:
    1. I had heard they make $40 per hour — not all of them, obviously, but the senior ones who are able to set their schedules.
    2. Since I was simply quoting a posting, I am not sure what I said that could be construed as fascist.
    3. “whingers” is correctly spelled “wingers”.

  32. Terry: “Rona Ambrose allowed the city administration to drag her into this mess.”
    Why is this now a mess? Most people were supporting her decision a week ago. Ambrose requested a vote of the membership — now it is clear where they stand. I don’t think this is any more of a mess than it was two days ago — same mess, really.
    Actually, my sense is that the workers voted against the offer in an act of defiance. They now must live with the consequences. I think they are expecting some concessions on the part of the city, but they had been warned that these would not be forthcoming.
    I am guessing (from the tone of some of the phone calls today) that already there is some anxiety and regret among the ranks — just sensing this. What will they do if the city does not budge? What I think will happen over the next week is that alternative arrangements (replacement workers?) will go into high gear as people settle in for a lengthy dispute.
    I think the drivers have been lead down the garden path by their union leaders. The public has no sympathy. No one else gets to set their own schedules.

  34. As per my Qty (3) SDA 2009 predictions, still cold in the New Year’s saddle:
    1) Major riots in the USA – (the under reported Oklahoma riots this week are a good start (minus Gov Swartzeniggers gloomy forecast today about California going broke /Sarc).
    2) Canada – will see Economic pain but survive much higher than its G8 counterparts……(meaning nothing much out of the ordinary folks, Normal boom and bust economic cycle).
    3) Nothing of consequence will happen out of the Middle East or Israel other than the ordinary killing and mayhem that were accustomed to. Including a few minor obligatory terrorist attack around the world.
    And 2010 will bring the real terror from Islam to North America.
    I would wish to challenge or change one of my new years beliefs if SDA wasn’t so regimental in its concrete laws of “once said once done” philosophy! Ha ha……………That is if I could make my 2009 predictions over again, it would be the faster economic collapse of the US and its dollar than I previously thought and that my point number #3 may be a little short sighted. We may very well see a “testing” of the new American “president” much earlier than anticipated – meaning a full out terrorist horror once the American economy is weak enough in early months of the new “presidency”!
    The civil riots are a give in, they are happening already………..yahoo. I win a cookie for guess #1.

  35. Drivers currently earn $24.23/hr >
    That’s grotesque!…….We use drivers in India that make a little more than $24.00/ week! You’re getting ripped off, use Indians. Better yet Indonesians, they are even less, but they are not as reliable or skilled as a whole. Sorry excuse my French; I’m not trying to stereotype!

  36. Time for everyone who has one to start wearing their furs. Enough of this crap from PETA.
    I would love to have one of those warm seal skin coats right now at -40C.

  37. “Despite their personal sacrifices, they are clearly saying we want a fair collective agreement,” Cornellier said in a release.
    We the taxpayer who provide the funds also want a collective agreement that is fair to us.

  38. This illustrates the tyranny of special interest groups – a union in this case. They have so much more to gain individually than we have to lose individually.
    The price of cheese is a great example. Because of subsidies we pay much more for cheese than those in countries where the farmer isn’t subsidized. The farmer has great interest in maintaining the subsidy. I gain some but little in having them eliminated. I can devote time, money, and energy into eliminating the subsidy or I can pay the extra dollar for a block of cheese. Rational apathy suggests I do the latter. We need a big, powerful special interest group for those who don’t belong to a special interest group.

  39. ulianov
    those examples and your inferences of them simply express your interpretations (bias’)of them, and do not necessarily denote fascism.
    Us non supporters who are effected( tax-payers) have a rite to be treated fairly (expendature of our tax dollars). As fed. gov’t is involved that means all Canadians. $24.23/hrs, that’s BS, and anyone with hff a brain knows that, as the $35/hr auto worker = $79/hr manufacturer cost.
    now try one more time, and use common sense, opps sorry, forgot U are a lefty!!!!

  40. Ontario is a busy place.
    73,000 Ontario teachers poised to call strike vote
    nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1155778
    Ontario’s correctional officers ready to strike
    theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090110.wcorrections0110/BNStory/National/home
    York University Strike
    cupestrikevideo.wordpress.com/
    No ban on strikes: CAW
    thestar.com/Business/article/568545

  42. We are creatures of habit. People in Ottawa have found other methods of getting to and from. When this strike is over it will be many moons before their ridership gets back to normal if it ever does. Those who are car pooling will find it more convenient and even lucrative so it will continue. There will also be many layoffs of these drivers. The only ones that may come out ahead will be the senior employees – their wishes filled. My son is in Ottawa and he said it was chaos for about a week but it seems people have found their own way out of this mess.

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