In the news: Victims of the transit strike

Quite a few articles recently have been exploring some of the people who've been forced to make alternative arrangements as a result of the OC Transpo strike.

First off, after the University of Ottawa and Carleton University announced that they will be running shuttles to move students into, out of, and between campuses, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) said they're not prepared to rule out picketing these shuttles--most of which are intended to allow students to get to school to write exams. From CBCNews.ca:

The union said it won't rule out picketing shuttles hired by local universities to help their students get to their exams during the city's transit strike.

"Most of the bus companies would never ever do anything that would be scabbing our members," [Randy] Graham [international vice-president for the Amalgamated Transit Union] said Wednesday afternoon. "We'll have to deal with it if it does occur. We have to do the things that we legally can do. And we will do it."

The situation is similar to that of elementary and high schools in the city, who were unable to receive guarantees that any yellow school buses they hired to stand in for OC Transpo service in transporting students wouldn't be picketed. As a result, the schools decided not to risk the health of students, picketers, or drivers and the onus is on students to fidn their own ways to school.

Ottawa Metro had an article about local charities whose fundraising efforts have been hindered because volunteers are unable to get to their posts, including the Salvation Army:

“We have begun to receive calls from volunteers indicating that without transportation, they will be unable to fulfill their shift,” said spokesman Michael Maidment [of the Salvation Army]. “We are working hard to identify ways to lessen the impact of the transit strike on our campaign.”

The organization’s toy distribution to needy families will also be affected.

“Families will be forced to find alternative transportation to the toy distribution centre to pick up toys for their children," said Maidment.

The strike has also had an impact on life at the Ottawa Mission.

“Half of our volunteers didn’t make it in today,” the shelter’s executive director Diane Morrison said yesterday.

And finally, the Ottawa Business Journal wrote about the possibility--and, the longer the work stoppage continues, probability--that local malls and retailers will suffer with people less able to get to shopping areas. Representatives from each of the Rideau Centre, St. Laurent, and Place D'Orléans all suggested that their traffic was down considerably in day one of the strike, although Denis Pelletier, general manager of Bayshore Shopping Centre, suggested that the fact that many of his clients come from outside the core, he might be somewhat insulated from the effects:

The Rideau Centre's Cindy VanBuskirk told OBJ that even on the first day of what some expect to be a protracted work stoppage, traffic at the downtown transit and retail hub was down noticeably.

"It's a little early on, but clearly there are fewer people in the shopping centre (today)," she said, noting that 47 per cent of Rideau Centre customers rely on public transit to get around. And while some of today's lacklustre activity could be blamed on the knee-deep snow besieging the capital, Ms. VanBuskirk said there's no way the strike won't affect the mall negatively on some level.

What kind of arrangements have you had to make getting to work or around the city with the work stoppage in place? Feel free to post (and read) stories in the 'Comments' section.

Ottawa universities offer shuttles to transit-hungry students

During the ongoing OC Transpo bus strike, students at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University can access shuttle services to some parts of the city. Beyond a bus from Merivale and Meadowlands to Carleton University, though, the west end is still largely left out.

This release went out to all University of Ottawa students just a few minutes ago (at about 10:45 p.m.):

Ottawa, December 10, 2008 — In light of the recent transit strike, the Student Federation (SFUO) and the University of Ottawa will provide a free shuttle service to uOttawa students. The service will offer round trips within the City of Ottawa to the main campus during the exam period.

Starting at 7:00 tomorrow morning, December 11, 2008, ONLY University of Ottawa students will be permitted to use the shuttle service upon presentation of their uOttawa student cards.

1) Round trips from South Keys Mall (close to the Second Cup and O-Train platform) to University of Ottawa will operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., approximately every hour (as possible), 7 days a week from December 11 to December 22 inclusively.

2) Round trips from Place d’Orleans (north side, near the Park and Ride) to the University of Ottawa will operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., approximately every hour (as possible), 7 days a week from December 11 to December 22 inclusively.

3) The existing round trip shuttle service from the University of Ottawa to Carleton University will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 10:20 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It is recommended to use mid-morning services for afternoon and evening exams. Visit the Parking and Sustainable Transportation's website for the schedule. http://www.protection.uOttawa.ca/en/shuttlecarleton.html

Please note that the drop-off and pick-up point on campus is near Montpetit Hall.

Students are asked to arrive extra early for access to the shuttle buses since they will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Two additional bus routes will be added on Friday depending upon the demand.

Please see the following link for other possible ways to get to the University of Ottawa:

http://www.protection.uOttawa.ca/en/transit_strike.html

The Carleton University Students Association has released a similar plan to help its students:

The buses will run from 7am – 12pm, 6-11pm Monday to Saturday for the duration of exams in the event of an OC Transpo strike.

Buses will run from the following location:
Merivale and Meadowlands – pick up every 45 minutes
Place d’Orleans – pick up every hour
South Keys Mall (near the O-Train) – pick up every 30 minutes
Bank Street and MacLeod Street bus stop – pick up every 30 minutes

Please note that these times are approximate and there may be delays because of weather conditions and traffic. The shuttle service is available to Carleton students ONLY, and students MUST present their student ID to get on the buses.

We will be accepting donations of OC Transpo equivalent fare from students that take the shuttle service in order to help pay for the service. We also encourage those who have a ride or need a ride to exams during the strike to advertise through our ride board. All rides are posted on the CUSA office and on our website. We accept ride requests and postings via email at admin@cusaonline.com or by phone at (613) 520-6688

"It's not about money": Cornellier

André Cornellier, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279, spoke on CTV on Tuesday. He highlighted the fact that 'block-booking', the ability for senior drivers to schedule their own routes, is the chief issue for the ATU in their strike. Many comments on the blog have highlighted his apparent hostility towards host Carol Ann Meehan:



On Talk Ottawa Wednesday night, Kanata North Councillor Marianne Wilkinson explained the city's position on block-booking. In essence, according to Wilkinson, the system requires significant 'deadheading', with a number of empty buses transporting drivers to their previously selected routes rather than having them run one route from the end-stop of their previous route.

For the city, block-booking means an increase in operating costs; for the union, it means negotiating on a contract item they've had for 106 years. But for citizens, all it means is a work stoppage and a desperate scramble for alternate methods of transportation.

(via LiveJournal)

TransitOttawa talking strike on Talk Ottawa tonight

TransitOttawa will be on Talk Ottawa this evening (Wednesday), on Rogers 22 in Ottawa at 9 p.m. In addition to myself (Peter Raaymakers), Kanata North Councillor Marianne Wilkinson and president of the Ottawa & District Labour Council Sean McKenny will also be on the panel for the hour-long program.

Here's the official press release:

As Ottawa enters day one of a public transit strike, the issue rises again, should public transit be declared an essential service?

Watch Talk Ottawa tonight at 9PM as Ward 4 Kanata North Councillor Marianne Wilkinson, Ottawa & District Labour Council President Sean McKenny and Peter Raaymakers of Public Transit in Ottawa join James Hendricks in studio to discuss the implications and take your calls.

Talk Ottawa – tonight at 9PM - exclusively on Rogers TV Cable 22.

Rogers TV is a one of a kind TV channel that is tailor-made for local audiences. Every year, our stations proudly produce over 15,000 hours of original, informative local programming, reinforcing Rogers Cable's commitment to the communities we serve. Rogers TV is a service available exclusively to cable customers as part of the basic service of Rogers Cable Communications Inc., Canada's largest cable company, delivering high quality entertainment, information and communication services to 2.2 million customers in Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

For more information please contact:
Lisa Lafontaine, Publicity Officer
Rogers TV Cable 22
613-759-8632
lisa.lafontaine@rci.rogers.com

Public opinion strongly against OC Transpo

Although far from a scientific study, public opinion on Internet forums, newspaper comments, and this blog seems to be strongly against the OC Transpo in the labour strife between the City of Ottawa and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) that represents drivers, mechanics, and dispatchers.

The most recently-rejected offer (which you can read on the City's website, click here) from the city included wage increases of three, two, and two percent over the next three years, according to the Ottawa Citizen. That offer wasn't submitted to a vote of union members because, according to union President André Cornellier, the offer--a quarter of a percent higher than the previous one--wasn't significantly different from a previous vote that the union voted 98 percent against accepting. In the Citizen story, Cornellier suggested that bigger issues of "the scheduling of drivers, improved sick leave and contracting out of maintenance" remain unresolved.

Although the Citizen's new format doesn't enable comments, a similar article on CBC.ca had a number of comments reflecting a swing of public opinion in favour of the City's position on the issue. Some of the comments make sweeping generalizations about the drivers, some are condemnations of the union, but here are a few of the most well-stated:

"The greed of this union amazes me. Job losses are soaring all over the country yet our transit workers feel that they deserve more, and have decided to cut-off essential services until they get it. And the sad part is, they'll probably get their way. Has anyone in the union stopped to think about people who can't afford alternative methods of transportation and will lose their income because of this? I'm sure the extra sick days are worth it though... " --Anon1234

"I hope the transit workers come to their senses and rebel against this Union. Their hostage taking tactics are doing nothing to gain them public respect, nor for those they represent. Quite the opposite in fact!" --Dee of Canada

"Keep this up and the PEOPLE WHO PAY YOUR CHEQUES will start their own war cry...PRIVATIZE OC TRANSPO!!!! England has privatized their train system and the sky didnt fall. I dont agree with privatizing everything and often support the labour movement, but this is insane! The union is an out of touch aristocracy who have a disgusting sense of entitlement. I bet we could put off the city tax hike if we privatized OC Transpo and paid these yahoos 15-20$/hr instead of 25-30. Its been done. We can do it too. All that needs to happen is for the public to demand it. Keep it up guys and the public will." -- MTCicero

"It's time OCTranspo had some competition. Who's going to start up a private bus company and see OCTranspo sweat when they realise what competitive business means." --Stanica

"OCTranspo should be an essential service! The city should protect itself from such a mess happenning every three years and just make it impossible for the bus drivers to go on strike." --That Guy

On the LiveJournal OCTranspo community (which includes a lot of drivers commenting), there's more anti-OC Transpo sentiment, but there also some sympathy for the drivers on there:

"Personally, I think they should get whatever they want. They're a pretty essential service in the city as far as I'm concerned, and what's the difference between 8 and 10 sick days? Who cares?! Get them what they want so the buses can get back on the streets so we're not all suffering and feeling punished!" --elektrafying

"Sorry Ottawa, but instead of blaming / hating us [OC drivers] for what alot of people feel were about to do to the city, look at your city and ask them why they've abandoned you at this time of year... Our contract expired on April 1st of this year, it take 2 parties to negotiate a contract." --billybigrig

"The wages aren't the issue, this is about scheduling, contracting out, and sick days. If they offered the same wage package, but left the booking process alone, amended the contracting out a bit, and made the sick days more in line with what office staff at OC get (they get 12 days/yr, we get 6, and they are allowed to carry unused days forward or get them paid out, we are not), then the contract would be a done deal!" --niceocdriver

And finally, (and most importantly?) the comments right here on Public Transit in Ottawa are strongly against the demands of the ATU:

"Comments left on CBC and CTV web sites are overwhelmingly against OC Transpo drivers.And this in the middle of exam week. A great real-life lesson for students on the power of unions over the little guy." --Klaus

"Greediness will not get you far. It's about time to teach the lesson that having a tantrum does not always mean you get what you want! In times where money is tight, it's a shame they feel a higher raise is deserved. Many of us have had to forego larger wage increases this year just to ensure we still have jobs. I cannot begin to express how disgusted I am with how they are acting, wanting more money than is available to go around. Quit complaining and be thankful for your job!" --Anonymous

"1. Public transit should become an essential service (like health care).
"2. It is utterly disgusting that they show so much greed while the rest of the world is tightening the belt during the present economic hardship. It is not the time to insist on getting more. Not while hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs. Short term victories acquired through poor attitude can only result in longterm dire consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if their greed would push the system into either making them an essential service (therefore forbidding them from going on strike) or privatizing the transit system (in which case, if they'll wish they hadn't pushed so far that it came to shove)." --Anonymous

Talks break off, transit strike seems likely

The Ottawa Sun is the first mainstream news source to report that talks between the city and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) that represents the OC Transpo drivers and support workers have broken off. According to the story, the City's most recent offer "wasn't good enough":

“We’re far part on a certain issues. They are very important to us and I guess they are very important to them,” said Andre Cornellier, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local.

[...]

The main points are scheduling, contracting out work and, when it comes right down to it, respect and dignity said Cornellier.

On his blog, Mayor Larry O'Brien discussed the possibility of a transit strike, and also the difficulty presented with trying to reward City-paid staff while also being fiscally responsible.

"We have hard working and professional drivers. In conversations with them I believe all concerned think the city’s financial offer is fair, so the question is why would there be a strike? What is the disagreement? The City takes its responsibility in public transit very seriously. We have to.

"There are a number of non-financial issues at the heart of the current negotiations. Without going into details one of the issues is about our management having the tools to improve operations of the transit system such as control of shift management and employee scheduling.

"Without these important tools the City loses much of the flexibility we need to manage the system in an economically efficient manner.

[...]

"It is always hard to find the balance between rewarding the drivers for outstanding service and looking after the interests of taxpayers."

As I understand it, one of those "important tools" that O'Brien alludes to is the freedom to contract out work when deemed appropriate.

As it stands now, though, it appears there will be strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Public Initiatives: Bail Out the Transit Utilities

Not at all an Ottawa (or even a Canada) -based Public Initiative, but the Bail Out the People Movement seems to be pretty big in the United States. The Huffington Post, the self-described "Internet Newspaper", had a column about the movement, which outlined the fact that the $7.7T USD bailout of the US financial sector would translate into roughly $55,000 per US citizen. As author Dale Pendell said, that amount of money would go a long way for individuals:

Some will save the money, which will solve the bank liquidity crisis. Some, of course will spend it or lose it at the racetrack. Either way, that's a great boon to business. But most will produce and invest, in themselves and in their friends. Companies will form, with the resources pooled into partnerships.

There's another way to use that money to "bail out the people", though, and that's by investing it into the public transit utilities which desperately need money -- like New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), whose recent budget includes rises in fares, layoffs uf staff, and significant service cuts. Worker's World, an independent news source dedicated to workers and oppressed peoples, suggested that the banks (including specifically American International Group [AIG]) which have benefitted from the federal bailout pass their good fortune onto transit utilities such as the MTA by offering debt relief:

Holding signs reading, “The banks should bail out the MTA,” members of the Bail Out the People Movement and transit workers held a press conference on Nov. 20 outside a public hearing where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the cuts. The Straphangers Campaign carried giant petitions signed by subway riders. One protester disrupted the hearing.

The media are attempting to address this public outrage by claiming that the hikes and cuts are necessary–that the financial crisis has drastically reduced the revenues
state and city governments get from corporate taxes. But the MTA’s officially stated deficit has nothing to do with state and city budgets. The MTA really owes all that money to the banks—most of it for interest payments.

Somehow I doubt many banks will run with this idea, but it sure sounds like it's got some merit.

OC Transpo staff vote to strike

A walkout of OC Transpo drivers, dispatchers, and maintenance workers could happen as early as Dec. 10, 2008, as the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 voted 98 per cent in favour of going on strike. According to the Ottawa Citizen, the Union's problem is with "wages and working conditions, including the number of sick days workers are allowed and how they are scheduled." More from the Citizen story:

"City spokesman Michael FitzPatrick said the two sides are scheduled for contract talks over the weekend. Mr. Cornellier said talks were planned for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, leading right up to the union's strike date.

"Mayor Larry O'Brien called for an emergency city council meeting this morning to discuss the matter."

Late last month, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5500, of which supervisors and security guards (transit constables) are members, voted in favour of a strike that could begin Dec. 23.

The Ottawa Sun had a timeline of labour disputes with OC Transpo as part of an article:

• Nov. 25, 1996: OC Transpo drivers stage a strike, suspending bus service for 24 days before a settlement is reached.
• Nov. 3, 2003: 230 Para Transpo drivers threatening to strike reach a settlement. Then-president of ATU Local 279 Bob Simpson says: "Quite frankly, it's in no one's interest to have a strike."
• Dec. 15, 2005: A strike is narrowly averted after 40 days of negotiations finally bring a ratified contract. Union members had voted 98.6% in favour of a strike.
• March 31, 2008: The three-year contract signed in 2005 expires.
• Dec. 1, 2008: Seven days of negotiations break down, leading to yesterday's strike vote.

According to Larry O'Brien as quoted in another Sun article, the city has explored some contingency plans in the event of a transit strike, including converting more downtown streets to one-way roadways in an attempt to reduce congestion and possibly increase parking availability.

EDIT: A couple of other city-suggested measures for citizens to take if the strike can't be avoided appeared today in the Financial Post:

To help people in the event of a strike, the city would urge residents to travel outside rush hours and carpool. Municipal officials are also asking employers to stagger hours of work and encourage people to work from home.

The article also said that passholders will be credited for any days that service will be shut down.

Transit plan "makes sense": Feltmate

Kanata South Councillor Peggy Feltmate was among the first supporters of the recently-approved transit plan for the city, and is still confident that it addresses Ottawa's most serious public transit problems. In response to an e-mail sent to all of council, Feltmate was one of a few that responded, and she offered her comments on the process, and on the final product:

"Given the long term consequences of the decisions on the Transportation Master Plan, it was important that Council put in the time required to address every question that was raised.

"The plan and how the plan will be phased in make[s] sense. Priority is placed on addressing the most serious problems like congestion in the downtown and along the Queensway in the west end. How quickly we can get the light rail network built is a concern, but addressing this concern means making sure federal and provincial governments provide the funding we need, not continually reopening the plan.

"After the discussion on Carling as a light rail corridor, I feel people need more information on the difference between what is required for a rapid transit light rail route and a light rail route providing local service in a high traffic corridor. Some of the proposals led people to believe that it was possible to have rapid transit speeds for local light rail costs. Yet none of the examples mentioned provided that combination."

Public initiatives: OC Transpo Network

Craig Davey, local software designer and transit enthusiast, recenty launched the OC Transpo Network (http://octranspo.net) as an alternative to the transit utility's official website. Dissatisfied with the customer service provided at the official website, Davey created the OC Transpo Network with an intuitive, browser-friendly presentation and a very simple-to-use search function: Either enter your stop number or a street name, and all connections pop up with their destinations and upcoming scheduled arrivals.

Here's what Davey had to say about what got him started on his project, and what he hopes people can get out of it:

"I created the OC Transpo Network because I was frustrated by all of the other timetable services I could find. I wanted bus stop pages that I could bookmark and I wanted timetables that were optimized for now. None of the official sites or unoffical hacks cut it so I crafted my own.

"I’m hoping that people find the site useful and convenient. I’m also hoping that a little bit of competition might push OC Transpo to improve their existing web services. In my opinion “customer service starts with http://” and the customer service at OCTranspo.com sucks.

"It’s a shame because I find the rest of their services are pretty good but the impression you get from their website is that they haven’t got a clue."

If you haven't visited the website yet, do it: http://octranspo.net. It's really, really impressive, and it's an easy website that's not bogged down by unnecessary content: It's a travel-planning utility that is not just easy but also pleasant to use. The feature of 'Bookmarking your bus stop' is also very useful, as you can quickly access your most commonly-used bus stops for quick schedule-checking.

EDIT: Unfortunately, Mr. Davey told me that there programming difficulties that come with using his service in Internet Explorer, so anyone using that browser is automatically re-routed to the official site. If you're using or have access to another browser, such as Firefox or Safari, you should be fine with accessing--and enjoying--OCTranspo.net.