Category: The Current Situation

Categories
The Current Situation Toronto (a.k.a. Accordion City)

TTC: Strike or No Strike?

TTC logo above “Strike or No Strike?”

If There’s to be a Strike, We’ll Hear About It Very Soon

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, the union of workers for the Toronto Transit Commission, is expected to make some kind of announcement today, and the current news reports say that it’s likely they will strike. The union promised 48 hours’ notice for a strike, which means that if a strike is announced, the real traffic chaos will happen on Monday.

Some news reports for your perusal:

A Very Telling Statement About the Union

The most telling statement about the union appears in the first paragraph of this article in yesterday’s National Post:

Amalgamated Transit Union 113, which represents about 9,000 employees at the Toronto Transit Commission – 3,500 maintenance workers, about 4,500 bus, subway and streetcar drivers, plus ticket collectors and others – has invited the press to the Sheraton Hotel in Richmond Hill tomorrow for an “update” on its contract talks with TTC management. When I asked why the union negotiates, and meets the press, at a hotel not served by the TTC, a source replied, “There is lots of free parking.” What that logic tells you about both sides’ belief in public transit is a matter I will leave up to the reader.

Categories
The Current Situation Toronto (a.k.a. Accordion City)

The TTC’s Announcement: No Strike — For Now

The missus has been watching the Toronto Transit Commission’s press conference on CP24 and took notes on Twitter. Here’s the scoop:

  • They say that they are not paid too much.
  • TTC fares have gone up at a rate double that of TTC employee wages.
  • The TTC is the least subsidized urban transit system in North America.
  • They are NOT giving their notice for a strike.
  • They are asking Adam Giambrone to step in and take over negotiations, and talks will continue through next week.
  • Apparently, they hate Gary Webster and think they’re more likely to reach an agreement with Giambrone.
Categories
The Current Situation

Charlton Heston Tribute, Part 3

One more tribute to Mister “Guns ‘N’ Moses” before bedtime. This one’s a little more serious than the previous two:

Charlton Heston at a civil rights protest
Photos courtesy of Miss Fipi Lele.

Here’s some text that Miss Fipi Lele provided along with the photos:

With the conservative activism of his later years, let us not forget that Mr. Heston had been active in the civil rights movement. The first photo above was taken in 1961… when Heston walked a picket line outside a segregated movie theater in Oklahoma. He also attended the March on Washington in 1963, famously photographed alongside Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.

Categories
funny The Current Situation

Charlton Heston Tribute, Part 1

Heston’s Own Organic Damn Dirty Grapes
Photo courtesy of Miss Fipi Lele.

Categories
The Current Situation

The House That Jack Lost

the_house_that_jack_lost.gif

Categories
The Current Situation

Three Campaign Stooges

The Three Stooges, with Barack Obama’s, John McCain’s and Hillary Clinton’s faces.
Photo courtesy of Miss Fipi Lele

Categories
The Current Situation

Sex Scandal Cheat Sheet

Since it’s going to be a hellzapoppin’ election year in the United States, it’s likely that we haven’t seen the last of the political sex scandals as each candidate’s team is probably digging up dirt on the opposition. You might find Matt Bors’ little cheat sheet below handy…

Sex Scandal Cheat Sheet
Comic by Matt Bors.
Click the comic to see it on its original page.

Also funny: In the current Matt Bors comic, the question is asked: “Is Jesus H. Christ’s middle name ‘Hussein’?”