I’m not a transit user but even so it’s been six weeks now. I find it quite disrespectful that Metro Transit would allow their union to keep them off the road this long. It’s been said over and over again that a full time driver working 40 hours a week make $50,000.00 a year. I know there’s a big chunk of change coming out of your pay for all the extras. You have to pay dental, medical, pensions, etc. Well, we all have those extras to pay. The difference is I don’t make $50,000.00 a year. I barely make half that. I’ve seen min. wage go up twice or three times since I’ve got a raise. You must think you’re pretty special people. I don’t remember a job that I could pick my own shifts. I’ve recently had an increase in my power bill of $60.00 more a month; groceries have increased doubling in price over the last two years, gas keeps going up. Let me tell you, I feel the pinch. One last thing I do want to thank Metro Transit for is, I’ve really enjoyed having the road to myself, without your big stinky diesel buses. Your drivers who at times drive like idiots, cutting people off for no reason other than they can. I really think you need to grow up. We wonder why drivers are so aggressive, well I’ve rarely gotten angry over the past six weeks of driving, what does that tell you.
I really think you should talk to your membership again and I don’t mean your union reps, I mean the men/women that are losing their wages each week outside of strike pay. If the members can afford to go on strike for six weeks they must be making enough in wages. The transit users are the people you’re really hurting, they shouldn’t be so forgiving either. —On and On
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2012.
Im pretty tired of people getting mad that they dont make as much as MT drivers. Get some more training, make yourself valuable and find a new job, or go apply to be a damn bus driver if you are that upset about it. Get out of your own damn way. Guess what, lots of workplaces have flexible schedules and allow people to work from home, work different hours or stay late to take a full day off at the end of the month. The bus drivers arent the only ones who get that kind of perk.
secretagent way to miss the entire point of this bitch.
OP isn’t angry that she makes ~25k. She could go train as a driver if they ever get their asses back to work. She’s making a POINT about their gross sense of entitlement.
What she’s saying is that people have it much worse and still manage to live their lives. She’s confused as to what their damage is. Why they’re complaining louder than most people in this city who work hard for less pay. She’s not upset about the money she makes. That’s not even remotely… that’s not the point.
yes o.p., and on and on it will go. til the city decides this has been enough and legislates a back to work mandate. petey, you reading this here dude.
Bus Drivers and the union are obviously out of touch with the rest of the workforce in NS. It is time they took a look around and realized how good they have it.
The union has drawn a line in the sand and I believe they are looking for face-saving way out. If the city can budge just a bit so Mr. Wilson can make it sound like a victory for the union, you’ll have the buses back on the road.
As soon as the city is able to balance the budget, by saving $68k(?)/day of the strike, they’ll settle.
troodon – you know that lemurs can dance, right?
i’m curious, are union members required to vote? is it a secret ballot? how much of a percentage of the members are needed to carry the vote?
Leave them out for at least another 30 days and let them feel a whole lot of pain. The skilled people at Transit are not the 78% who rejected the last offer. Greedy drivers are screwing their colleagues.
The ferries should be sold off to a private company or a non-profit with an HRM grant and a contract that does not end at the same time as the bus drivers. Time to bust this cozy union run monopoly.