As though picketing and blocking traffic to the downtown core wasn’t bad enough, it sounds like the transit union is talking about picketing and blocking shuttles, arranged by the local Universities, to get students to their exams.

Yes, thanks to the transit strike, some students are having difficult times getting to school to take their exams. To help, shuttles were being set up.

Striking is one thing, but going out of your way to fuck with the future of our own youth? How about you shoot yourselves in the foot while you’re at it.

Here’s my recommendation to students. They’re screwing with your future? Screw with their present. After your exams, go picket the homes of the union members and prevent them (and their families) from getting to their front walkway.

Do not tresspass, do not damage property and do not resort to violence, just form a wall of bodies and don’t move. Both for going in and out. If they talk to you, offer to call them a cab to get where ever they’re going.

Let’s see how they like it when their kids can’t get to school. They can’t get to the grocery store for food. They can’t get to the doctor.

It sounds harsh, but this is what the union is doing to Ottawa residents.

You’re not just making it difficult for people that use the bus, you’re making it difficult for everyone and their families. And it sounds like you’re being encouraged to take it as step further by interfering with people that are trying to help. Why aren’t we allowed to peacefully protest your protest?

Oh, to the bleeding heart/weeping eyed sympathetics claiming, “Oh, but one guy I know that is a bus driver says there are bus drivers are beat up at least five times each week!” I can’t believe I actually heard someone citing this. Use your fucking brain for a second and ask yourself:

What does 9% raise over three years, a few more sick days per year and the ability to choose your schedule (more on this in a sec) have to do with increasing security on buses? They shouldn’t be asking for more money, they should be asking for more security measures.

Now, the ability for drivers to pick their own schedules is a hot topic – technically, by picking schedules they could move themselves away from ‘dangerous’ routes but that doesn’t really help. Why? Because someone has to do that route so it doesn’t solve anything. The real reason is that the drivers are able to pick schedules that get them full time pay without having to work full time hours. This is the beef the city has with this system and why they want to take control of it.

That’s right, they’re getting paid for 40 hours of work, but they’ve set it up so they don’t actually work 40 hours. This means slower service for a higher cost. Cost to who? Tax payers and people that take the bus.

This strike isn’t about safety. This strike isn’t about it being a better work place for the employees. This strike is about money and the ability to fuck over tax payers.

As if we didn’t get that enough already…

UPDATE: For those of you that still believe it isn’t about money, take a read from CBC. I’ll quote an interesting part:

Mercier said under the current system, the most senior drivers get to “cherry pick” their shifts, and tend to choose morning and afternoon shifts of three-hours each, for which they are then paid eight hours due to guaranteed daily rates in the contract. That leaves behind many small pieces for less-experienced drivers, who make up the majority of workers, Mercier said.