Blog Strike!

Show a Brother some Love! We want more comments! Show me the comments! Blog Union Local 335 demands Benefits!

Yes people I know you've been wondering well how come Jdid didn't blog since Monday? Well Jdid was on strike!

Yes that's right you heard me, a brother joined Blog Union Local 335 out of Alameda and was out and about with the pickets trying to demand more comments. Actually they picketed I chilled but they don't have to know that. For awhile we've been disgruntled, putting in lots of hard work on our posts and then where is the love? We've been ignored and laughed at and ridiculed and ...should I go on? Ready to negotiate a settlement yet? Wait a second did you people even realize I was on strike? What do you mean I'm a non-essential service?

Alright, I'm just kidding I wasn't on strike but given the climate that I'm currently living in it would not be surprising if I was. Toronto formerly known as SARs-ville back in 2003 should probably be known as Strikes-Ville in the summer of 2005.

Not that anyone has actually gone on strike besides the Ontario Hydro Engineers who are still on strike but there has been about one threat of a strike per week all summer here in Toronto. Actually back to those Hydro Engineers does anyone realize that they are actually still on strike? You would think we would miss them more given the extreme heat wave (which I'm still loving) and the chance of rolling blackouts and all that but so far aside from a few pickets they've been on strike for at least a month and its not big news.

Anyway like I said its been a strike threat a week for like the longest. I think it started when Star mentioned that the Zoo folk were in strike position back in April pickets at the ready, then the (TTC) transit guys gave us all a good scare by threatening to strike which would have just totally screwed up the city.

Since then I've lost count of the random strike threats. Seems like everyone's collective agreement ended at the same time and they are all in Strike positions. Teachers were basically on work to rule at the end of semester, Library staff were in strike position last week or was that two weeks ago. Parks and Rec staff were ready to drop their tools awhile back, this list just goes on and on.

Yesterday on the subway (as a follow up to the last post I had to push these dudes out of the way Tuesday night when they stopped right inside the train door to read the damn subway map while I was running for the swiftly closing doors.) I was reading one of the free newspapers and I saw that the air traffic controllers, one of our radio stations CBC and the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) were all in strike positions this week.

(as an aside let me explain the LCBO to you guys. Alcohol distribution in Ontario is controlled by a government agency called the LCBO. They have their own stores and also give out licenses to bars, restaurants etc I believe. The good thing about this is that we don't have liquor stores on every corner like some parts of the US, the bad thing about this is we don't have liquor stores on every corner like some parts of the US.)

Whoa! Forget CBC and air traffic controllers but LCBO, yo a brother needs to get his drink on in the summer. I'm willing to write to my local MP and MPP and join the picket line if necessary to make sure that this highly valuable nay ESSENTIAL service is maintained. Barring that I'm heading to the closest LCBO outlet and stocking up like its the end of the world. lol

Of course the biggest joke of a strike was the NHL. I'm not a hockey fan and didn't follow the strike but from what I've been hearing it seems like after striking for a full year the players union basically caved to the owners demands. That sucks, not only do you lose a year's pay but you also don't get anything that wasn't offered last year. Oh man!

But the strike threat thing is crazy here in Toronto! There is a running joke in Barbados that workers there, especially the trades and the construction folks, are always ready at the drop of a dime to put down their tools to protest some issue or the other. Well it looks like the strike bug has caught on in T-dot.

And me well here in the summer of the strike I'm ready to dash way the tools, walk off the job, pick up a picket and go walk around in the hot sun protesting...... hold on a minute what was that last part? I'm cool with the walking off the job bit but the picketing umm yea umm I'll get back to you on that one. I'll be home with some LCBO product and y'all can call me and let me know how that picketing thing works out. Show Solidarity? What's a Polish Labour Union got to do with all this man, this here is Toronto, I'm chilling you can protest all you want. Trust me you don't want me to be out there in the hot sun picketing, walking around sweating buckets. That there sounds like field labour to me, brothers aint working no fields no more, ya dun likely to give me a slavery flashbacks and I might go all Nat Turner on ya. Naa I'm a chill on that picket thing. If you want me to write a protest blog or sharply worded email I'm your man but see all this walking up and down in the hot sun with a big placard in my hand thing. Yo dat lawlessness aint workin fa me. Don't get me wrong son I'm a show love to my peeps but yea about the picketing thing umm we need to rethink that strategy. LOL