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A union that went too far It may have happened hours away from here, but perhaps it’s a sign of the times – one that seems to be popping up in communities across our country. Last week’s decision by the Toronto Transit Commission’s employee union to walk off the job, without warning to the people it serves, has garnered little, if any, support from the general public. The residents of the Greater Toronto Area and those beyond its borders delivered this message rather clearly. The very fact that the union ignored its own promise to give residents and transit users 48 hours’ notice before its members walked off the job (it gave about one hour’s notice) because it feared for its members’ safety is telling in itself. It was afraid its actions would result in more than just a gentle reprimand from the public. No kidding. One million people use the public-transit system each day in Canada’s largest city. The TTC is more than just a convenience; when that great a number is involved, it is an essential service. Not only are those who use the system affected, but those who drive to work experience even greater gridlock than normal, not to mention lost productivity as employees are late for work or just choose to take time off rather than fight their way through the city’s clogged transportation arteries. Businesses lose money. This isn’t the first time the transit workers have walked off the job in recent years, and officials claim job action in the past resulted in eventual transit job losses, as those who found other means to commute during a strike didn’t return to public transit when service was restored. This time, the sudden departure of transit workers, without notice, left much of the city stranded on the night that it happened. It was a dangerous situation. Naturally, weekend traffic was also affected, as were those trying to get to work. This type of action – holding fellow Canadians hostage until you get what you want – should not be permitted, and is akin to tantrums by children. This behaviour is not tolerated by parents, guardians or educators, and it should not be tolerated by employers. It is not being tolerated by the general public, as is evident by the outcry following this stunt. The majority of public comments following many online news stories on this topic chastise the union. The provincial legislature sat on Sunday – a rare move – to deal specifically with the TTC situation, and it agreed to order the union back to work. Whether or not Canada’s largest transit system is declared an essential service remains to be seen. Quebec has legislation mandating public transit, even during a strike. Declaring it an essential service would likely mean higher earnings for employees, as those declared essential generally have richer contracts. The cost of this will be passed on to riders. So provincial politicians of all stripes are asking the city to debate the issue before removing the right to strike. As for the reception from the public, transit workers are having to face those they abandoned. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. How many people in "the real world" would still have a job to go back to if they pulled a stunt like this? |
