treading water

Today is one of those days, not a bad day, but not a whoo-hoo-things-are-great-day, either.

I'd been waiting to hear from my partner about what kind of offer was made to the HandyDART union by the new-this-year employer. For some unfathomable reason, TransLink gave the contract to run the non-profit disabled transportation service in the Lower Mainland to a for-profit American company. A service that is mostly subsidized by the taxpayer (and should be, in the realm of some things are just the right thing to do). Any profit they gouge out is our tax dollars draining to the south.

Anyway after 29 years with no strike, the new employer managed to run down service and demoralize the drivers enough to leave the union no choice but the always hurtful option of striking.

There’s been a lot of misery caused by this strike, a lot of forgotten people stuck in their homes waiting for the buses to roll again, and a lot of under-valued people tramping a picket line for the past two months. Two months!

They're voting today and tomorrow on a mediated offer. They've been offered pretty much what they already had. If the union accepts the offer, the drivers will get to continue being the lowest paid staff in the TransLink system, and the lowest paid HandyDART drivers in BC. What about this picture seems wrong to you? Is there something easier about driving around our area?

The union will probably vote yes, but I'll bet it won't be resounding (don't quote me on it -- I guessed wrong about Survivor). I don't think they're going to be happy though; just less mad.

A two month strike in order to tread water. Two months pay lost to the employees, and two months life lost to their passengers. (No word on improvements to service and scheduling; that's up to TransLink to remind the company about. I hope the passengers keep on letting them know.)

But it does seem that the downtrodden just keep getting trod down, doesn’t it?