TTC Work-to-Rule?

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It's because my tax dollars pay these workers, and I DON"T have a choice about it.

Philosophically, only to a point - the public does not necessarily have the right to expect perfect service if they are not willing to pay the price for it - and there are some out there who want their cake and eat it too.

AoD

 

[markel]

fighting back?? really? do you know their union agreement? If someone has access to it, post it, but, I'm sure they are allowed to take breaks. If they are not, maybe they need to have that written in their contract. I'm not trying to be difficult, but, we are talking about bus drivers..really, what kind of reception do you expect?
and videotaping don't prove squat, need I mention Rodney King? Whether I agree if the cops were guilty in that case or not, they were judged not guilty.
None of the video evidence I've seen on youtube or on TV even remotely proves your point that the ttc gives bad service. If I were to go to 100 Mcdonald's restaurants and not get a smile at 3 of them and I videotape it, does that mean all the employees are terrible?

I wouldn't be too upset about a McDonalds employee not smiling at me, equally the 14-15 non-smiling TTC employees that I encountered on my ride home today. However, I think if I walked into a McDonalds to see the cashier sleeping or doing something that is so obviously against any sort of customer service role, then yes it will reflect negatively on the company as a whole. That is why in the private sector this action would have resulted in the McDonalds employee being turfed. I hope the TTC employee is also turfed for his actions, the one sleeping! I actually have no problems with a TTC driver ducking out for a quick washroom break or coffee if I still get to my stop on time.

I don't think anyone is stating that ALL TTC employees are bad, in fact some of the friendliest conversations I have on my way to work in the morning are with TTC employees. What people are saying is that logic would dictate that you remove the ones that are causing the issues, and move in new blood to present a better public image, management and union.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

A non-smiling TTC worker doesn't bother me in the least. I spent three years in retail--the smile disappears after about day two. As long as they do their jobs and don't swear at or threaten me I don't care what their attitude is.

 

[drone]

I agree with DH lawrence above me...try working with the public. For those of us that have "jobs" and not "careers", I'm sure that we have all exeprienced working for a place that either under pays you or gives you poor sick benefits, etc...I know someone who was a bus driver in a major city, he said, he was allowed a 10 min break after every "run", which could be 3 hours, and if buses were late, he was strongly discouraged to not take a break to keep things running on time. What I'm getting at here is, eventhough ttc employess have jobs, it doesn't mean they are being treated fairly. I'm not saying that gives them the right to be jerks,but, if you had to take a leak or needed a coffee after not being able to stop..what would you do? Stop and take the chance? quit your job? challenege management? I work in health care,and at times, I haven't taken a break in over 9 hours..I'm dead on my feet. How would you feel about me administering your child's chemotherapy drugs after I've worked my butt off and not had a break?

 

[Eug]

I'm not sure what you're getting at.

You say you don't take a break in 9 hours, but TTC workers should have breaks more than every 3 hours? And anyway, taking a break isn't something that offends most people. Offensive behaviour and sleeping on the job is something that offends taxpayers.

And after all of this, the union's response is to scold the public that's paying them? Not wise. This union is completely out-of-touch, and deserves the bad press it's getting.

 

[drone]

what I'm saying is...they have a right to take breaks.it's in their agreement. The breaks take place at different time schedules than usual breaks. Someone who works in an office can go and take a bathroom break when they want. Try driving for 3 hours and people freak out on you and film you, post it on youtube cuz you went to go take a piss. Most drivers don't even get the oppurtunity to take their SCHEDULED breaks, because TTC management tries to save $$ by putting less buses, less drivers and therefore, little time to take a break. Thats not the union, thats mangement, the employees are just trying to get by. If you take a 10 min break 3x in a 12 hour shift, that's 1/2 an hour..that's not fair

do you even have a job?? you're out to lunch

 

[PinkLucy]

The issue isn't that the driver took a break, it's about HOW he took a break, i.e., leaving a running bus unattended, not informing the passengers (hey, he didn't even offer to pick them up a coffee).

 

[drone]

yeah, right. good post...next time you go take a bathroom break, offer everybody in your place of work to go grab them a coffee. LMAO!!

straight out, TTC sux cuz it tries to save $$ by treating their staff like crap. People have to work and support their families, and riders are expecting drivers to consult them when they take a 7 minute break?? That driver was in the store 7 mins, and then confronted by two angry passengers, one of whom was filming him. Then it was posted on you tube,newpapers etc...I think riders responses are too overt

 

[PinkLucy]

Hey, even Sarah Palin recognizes satire. (and yes I know that was sarcasm, not satire)

It's a lot more than just the issue of the bathroom break. How are you going to defend the ticket takers who were asleep on their jobs? Are they entitled to naps? Or the driver who used the ATM? Or the driver who got the falafel?

 

[Jonny5]

No less than Steve Munro has now posted Giambrone should step down as TTC chair, on the belief he can no longer functionally act as chairman. Which councillor could/should replace him?

 

[tkip]

Step down....

After listening the last couple of days, Gimabrone needs to step down and now. He's obviously not up to the task and people think he's something of a disaster with how he's handled responsibilities.

What I'm really confused about is whether he actually had a partner or not and whether there were multiple affairs and if there's really any real element of the truth in his announcements to the public....

In the end we need to trust a person in a position of authority and powe, handling how things are run in our society and this means having some code of conduct that includes integrity and reisisting temptation.

As I get older, it seems more and more difficult to find these qualities in enough individuals. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

[drone]

He won't step down, there's nothing that he did wrong.Almost all the presidents have had some sorta scandal. wait till they start looking at Smitherman's life. Are they going to find out he was a regular at bathhouses? if they do, will it be considered a lapse in judgement, or a diverse part of gay culture.

 

[kEiThZ]

drone,

If you were taking a cab and the driver just pulled over without warning, left the door wide open so that you were freezing, took his sweet ass time getting back after he went to the bathroom, got a coffee and chatted up the server, and then when you asked him to apologize, he told you off, would that be okay? Even if he was entitled to his break, his behaviour was absolutely wrong. Moreover, if you read all the articles, it was clear that on the night that the passenger challenged him (which was not the same night as the video was taken), the passenger requested that the driver not take his usual break because the bus was already 15 mins late. And at that hour when only select blue routes are running every 30 mins, that much of a delay is a huge difference. How would like to be stuck outside for 30 mins in -10 C because the driver just could not put off his regular unauthorized break?

Let's be clear here. Most passengers have no problems with an emergency bathroom break. But what this driver did was something completely different. And that's exactly why he got disciplined. All these people who defend him and this kind of behaviour...makes me wonder if you care more about the well being of the driver than the tax and fare paying passenger or if criticism of such behaviour has struck a chord because they feel equally entitled to such conduct.

 

[kEiThZ]

He won't step down, there's nothing that he did wrong.Almost all the presidents have had some sorta scandal. wait till they start looking at Smitherman's life. Are they going to find out he was a regular at bathhouses? if they do, will it be considered a lapse in judgement, or a diverse part of gay culture.

Nobody has suggested he should step down for his sluttery. They are suggesting he should step down because of his inability to fix the TTC's customer service issues. There's also that whole issue that he might have given out confidential information as well.

While I am sure that Smitherman has a coloured past, it's in no way dented his ability to do the job. And he's proven himself quite capable of getting things done. The same can't be said for Giambrone. While all his work on transit expansion is all good, he failed to address the public's primary concerns, which is the first duty of a politician.

As far as the scandal goes, I would suggest that he should get the same penalty that any other city employee would face for having sex in their office.

 

[drone]

well, I politely disagree, but, that's what a forum is all about. I support them, and anyone else who are trying to improve their working conditions. That's how I see it.