I am a public servant working in Ottawa, and I can tell you that this strike is causing extreme hardships for the people in this city. I work for the federal government and thankfully I can walk to work (it takes me an extra 1.5 hours a day) but my wife is a teacher and has told me that many of her students' parents (who are low-income) are absolutely struggling with this. This strike is appalling and the people of Ottawa need to come together to reign in the union and give them a reality check. We're in a recession and people are barely making ends meet, and the union wants to put people through hell to keep a perk?!! I'm disgusted. The union has done irreversible damage to the relationship between transit workers and the people of Ottawa.

Stephen, I noticed on a number of the comments on the CBC and CTV sites (which incidentally were 99.99% against the strikers) that people kept suggesting that the strike be kept going until June when all the strikers could be fired and the union would be out of business. I'm out on the West coast and I have no idea what they are talking about. Any ideas ?

Driving a bus is not brain surgery.

These strikers can and probably should be replaced.

Hopefully someday with robots…

I say, anyone who feels a robot can't do a task better than those blokes needs some schooling.

Like to see any of you chaps out tape dance one of these on a patch of black ice. BLINDFOLDED NO LESS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww (skip to 1:25)

Unfortunately, I believe there are laws that prohibit employers from hiring people to replace striking workers.

Its sad really. Unions had their time and place where they were needed. Now however, with labour laws and the ability to easily change professions, they have just become an agent of greed. I never have and never will join a union, even if it means not taking a job I want. They are archaic, unneeded, and unfair to society as a whole.

No wonder Canadians are fed up with unions.While many are losing their jobs these greedy bas…ds are still trying for more. Pull a Reagan and fire the whole bunch and see how long it takes to get replacements

You know what's REALLY disgusting? Consider: This is the longest running bus strike ever in Ottawa. They called it just before Christmas with the full intent on causing the maximum carnage to our local economy and the maximum hardship to students, seniors, and other lower income folks who can't afford a car. A large number of drivers didn't even bother to vote! Now THAT is disgusting. Most of the drivers don't give a damn about the paying public which is precisely why most of the public (even those who use buses the most) don't give a damn about them. Looks like they will be out until spring at least, and maybe even longer, since it will then be bicycle weather. Ottawa will not be bullied!

It must be kept in mind that it is not just the drivers – mechanics and dispatchers are also on strike. Unfortunately, the union exec is manipulative and without any sort of conscience. André Cornellier is somebody whom I do not trust at all and his tactics are disgraceful. The vulnerable of our city are facing untold hardships and the union exec does not care one whit. The city can legally hire replacement workers under conditions but that would be a less-attractive option. The union is now at a point of desperation and I am not confident that them ore militant of them will not try something akin to illegal or, at the least, unethical. The public is against the union, at this time, but that seems to not be getting through.

The union and the bus drivers have shown themselves to have complete disgust with those who pay their salaries. They planned ahead for this strike so as to cause the maximum disruption for the city and it's paying public.
They calculated that with Christmas and the two hockey tournaments (Bell Canada and Junior Worlds) that the city would cave. They have been proven wrong.
When you are drawing your salary from the public it becomes very important to get the public on your side. They have failed to even try to do this.
Examples they could have used….Work to rule, no overtime, (but that would mean a loss of money to those who are milking the system). Inform the public that they could go on strike but would wait until after the Christmas season…..Not threaten the students proposed buses to enable them write exams.
What have they done??? Picketing Para Transpo, the most vulnerable…Prevent people from getting to work through not running buses and picketing parking lots.

The drivers do not realize that after Air Canada and Bell Canada they are the most complained about organization in the Ottawa area. So they were already behind the 8 ball before they even started.

And, with the latest revelations….that some drivers worked continuous days from 20 to 60 days. And they are now screaming that the CITY wants to curtail their family hours.

My view….bring them back to work and immediately put out tenders to privatize the company.

City council has not been able to effectively run the city since this started, they should not be concerned with the daily running of a city service. Privatize it and lay down the rules.

It's too bad there isn't a way to phase these a-holes out.

They make more money than they're worth (glorified taxi drivers w/salary).

And they are literally holding a city ransom, people are not getting medical treatment, losing jobs, losing businesses. All because these people want to regulate their own schedules.

Public servants? I think not, wish we could find a way to shyt can them all.

It's too bad there isn't a way to phase these a-holes out.

They make more money than they're worth (glorified taxi drivers w/salary).

And they are literally holding a city ransom, people are not getting medical treatment, losing jobs, losing businesses. All because these people want to regulate their own schedules.

Public servants? I think not, wish we could find a way to shyt can them all.