Haven’t written anything about this yet, I have been trying to stay objective and fair, but man if there is something I need to comment on, it’s the media image that the Transit Workers are delivering.

I’m not even going to get into what I think about the terms of these negotiations, but instead let’s discuss having Andre Cornellier represent the drivers in the media.  Clearly he has very little experience in front of the camera, that much is obvious.  He is basically trying to have an argument with each interviewer.  His demeanor should be carefully controlled so that public opinion might sway in their favour, but instead he generates very little sympathy.  His quote from this video is the most telling:  “Inconveniencing people.  What’s wrong with that?”

That is exactly the wrong approach to take, in my opinion.  In the mind of the average commuter it’s pretty hard to imagine that it’s the city’s fault that the buses aren’t running.  It’s obvious that the bus drivers are striking, not the city.  So it’s the union’s job to make sure that they come across as the reasonable side of this argument, hopefully generating goodwill and some support from the average person.  We all know the strike is about money, despite Andre’s feeble efforts in the next video to convince Micheal O’Byrne it’s not.  The opportunity to select their shifts is the oldest trick in the book, allowing senior members to maximize their overtime, working in teams to call in sick at just the right moment to let their buddies get maximum pay.

I would be really concerned if I was a union member that this guy was representing me.  Making the bus drivers to be the bad guys in the eyes of the city will only hurt them in the long run.

**More posts on this topic here and here and here and here.

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