DDOT Sickout: No Bus Routes Today

[jt1]

Not taking sides, but per the article I guess the the driver was beaten as the other DOT staff [[including security staff) inside the building [[Rosa Parks Station) looked on....? What's was up with that?

"Gaffney said two officers inside the station did not help, and Detroit Police officers arrived 30 minutes after the beating started. The driver was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released..."

Vid of the fight and those who observed it:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/29678629/index.html

So it appear solidarity only applies when it comes to staging a sick out? When it comes to helping one of your peers in trouble that is someone else's problem.

I certainly hope the security guards are immediately fired regardless if they are unionized or not.

[jcole]

Perhaps they should have brought light to it. Planned a sick-out and advertised it to the media. This would allow people to at least know ahead of time and make alternate arrangements.

Just doing it the next day while people too poor to drive wait at freezing cold bus stops for buses that aren't coming? Just sounds irresponsible, dangerous, and harmful to people that need to be employed and rely on DDOT buses to get there.

Fire. Them. All.

The point of a sick out or blackboard flu or blue flu is to make people realize what it is that the employees do and to make it difficult to operate as if it's a normal day. Advertising it in the paper so people could make other arrangements defeats the purpose of the event. All that would show is that people CAN get along without them.

[jt1]

The point of a sick out or blackboard flu or blue flu is to make people realize what it is that the employees do and to make it difficult to operate as if it's a normal day. Advertising it in the paper so people could make other arrangements defeats the purpose of the event. All that would show is that people CAN get along without them.

Fucking over the people with limited/no power doesn't do much but inconvenience people dependant upon those services.

Rationalizing it that way is ridiculous.

[Zacha341]

Yes, apparently his co-workers were not going to 'catch' the beat-down with OR for him! They essential 'threw' THE DRIVER UNDER THE BUS! Now he's their champion of protest? What's up with all this mess!?? I've been down to the center when I was in between cars. This had to be ugly to observe.

So it appear solidarity only applies when it comes to staging a sick out? When it comes to helping one of your peers in trouble that is someone else's problem.

I certainly hope the security guards are immediately fired regardless if they are unionized or not.

[jcole]

Fucking over the people with limited/no power doesn't do much but inconvenience people dependant upon those services.

Rationalizing it that way is ridiculous.

I'm not rationalizing anything; I'm making a simple statement of fact. If you are striking to gain something, you don't make it easier for people to get along without you.

[Scottathew]

I'm not rationalizing anything; I'm making a simple statement of fact. If you are striking to gain something, you don't make it easier for people to get along without you.

Well, it's time to FIRE these drivers without notice. Let them know how much they counted on those paychecks. Let them know how inconvenienced they are by not having a job.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, that seems foundational IMO.

I'm not rationalizing anything; I'm making a simple statement of fact. If you are striking to gain something, you don't make it easier for people to get along without you.

[jt1]

I'm not rationalizing anything; I'm making a simple statement of fact. If you are striking to gain something, you don't make it easier for people to get along without you.

So you are confirming that the intent of this is to cause harm to the pawns in the game. Afterwareds I'm sure DDOT will issue a statement that serving their customers is their top priority or some other non-sense.

DDOT cares as much about their customers as I care about the last thing I left in the toilet. I'd respect them a lot more if they just came out and admitted that the customers are nothing more than a necessary inconvenience in their day.

[jcole]

How the hell would I confirm anything; I'm not a bus driver.
I assume you are one of those people who agrees with Snyder that public servants shouldn't have the right to strike or have collective bargaining. Only the private sector is entitled to raises and job safety because they don't inconvenience the bus riders, students or general public.

[Traxus]

My office has a pretty good view of the Rosa Parks Transit Center and that place is barren today...

[MikeM]

I agree with 48091, fire them all. This sick out isn't about safety, just like their work slow down isn't about ensuring the best work is done on the buses.

Of course it's about safety. The bus drivers should stay on strike until the city gets cops or guards on every bus.

[Scottathew]

I assume you are one of those people who agrees with Snyder that public servants shouldn't have the right to strike or have collective bargaining. Only the private sector is entitled to raises and job safety because they don't inconvenience the bus riders, students or general public.

You do understand the difference between a strike and what happened today? Right?

They're under contract. They must perform.

I understand the safety issue, and I feel that it most certainly should be address. However, screwing over everyone isn't the way to address it.

[MikeM]

I understand the safety issue, and I feel that it most certainly should be address. However, screwing over everyone isn't the way to address it.

What is the way? Some stupid PR campaign? The city can barely provide the most basic governmental functions. The drivers are the point of contact with the customers and are being pushed the breaking point. Security watches a driver getting beat for half-an-hour and do nothing? The riders standing around the station watch the driver getting beat for half-an-hour and do nothing? If the cops won't come then it's time for vigilante justice; the people standing around should have ganged up on these kids and beat their lights out. If the cops won't support the drivers, if the security guards won't protect the drivers, if the citizens won't step up, then fuck 'em all. No protection from the animals in the city then no service.

[SWMAP]

Very good, MikeM. How funny was the suggestion above that drivers should go en masse to Manoogian! And be booted by security there.

[Meddle]

Well, it's time to FIRE these drivers without notice.

Yeah, that'll help the unemployment rate.

[jcole]

You do understand the difference between a strike and what happened today? Right?

They're under contract. They must perform.

I understand the safety issue, and I feel that it most certainly should be address. However, screwing over everyone isn't the way to address it.

Do YOU realize that people under contract walk out on strike to improve work conditions? Ever heard of blackboard flu, blue flu? You can strike to get a better contract not just because you don't have a contract. They are on a walk out to get better safety measures. Sure, fire them all and then watch the union retaliate.

[antongast]

If the cops won't come then it's time for vigilante justice; the people standing around should have ganged up on these kids and beat their lights out.

Come on, who's going to do that? Would you do that? If I encountered a fistfight on my way to work, I'd be running like hell in the other direction.

[MikeM]

Come on, who's going to do that? Would you do that? If I encountered a fistfight on my way to work, I'd be running like hell in the other direction.

Yes, after collecting a group of concerned citizens, you know, like passengers on airplanes do these days.

My wife comes from the sticks; she can't comprehend this story. I had to explain this town to her - about how beat down and apathetic the populace is. If this happened to a relative of hers she'd have twenty cousins at these kids' doorstep and the blood would be flowing. If there's no fear of the police, of jail time, of retribution, then you're left with packs of juveniles terrorizing everyone from bus riders to bus drivers.

[Scottathew]

Yeah, that'll help the unemployment rate.

Actually, it wouldn't have an effect.

You fire the people that don't want to work and hire people who do in their place.

It's the same thing we should have done with those union mechanics.

[luckycar]

Millions for mass transit and then this should happen?This plays into hands of the ,"I'll never go down there" crowd.

[downtownguy]

DDOT serves about 120,000 riders every day. That's roughly 2 Ford Field sellouts, 3 CoPa sellouts or 6 sellouts at the Joe. How many cops are on duty for the sports sellouts? Now, I wonder how many cops are on hand for security on the busses? Apparently, not even 2 could be found for 30 minutes in the middle of the day yesterday. I recall hearing that Wayne Country sheriffs randomly ride on DDOT buses. Does anybody know if they still do?

[EastsideAl]

Do YOU realize that people under contract walk out on strike to improve work conditions? Ever heard of blackboard flu, blue flu? You can strike to get a better contract not just because you don't have a contract. They are on a walk out to get better safety measures. Sure, fire them all and then watch the union retaliate.

All of which doesn't make it any less stupid of a move. I can't imagine anything worse for the bus drivers' PR, or their relationship with passengers, than to walk out and literally leave people out in the cold. People who depend on them to get them to work, and school, and medial appointments and such, many of whom are seniors. People who are powerless to change the drivers' working conditions and who, as transit users in a town where there aren't that many of them, are the most likely supporters of better and safer public transit.

In the meantime, the higher-ups, who travel to their jobs in their official cars and are not inconvenienced by this in the least, will just see this sick-out as yet another excuse to screw over the "lazy" bus drivers, especially since they have now acted in clear violation of their contract. And, as a result of today's action, much more of the public is likely agree with those higher-ups, since they or someone they know will have been left hanging by the bus drivers for something they had no hand in.

All in all a dumb move and a tragic miscalculation.

[antongast]

I recall hearing that Wayne Country sheriffs randomly ride on DDOT buses. Does anybody know if they still do?

No. DPD sued for the DDOT Transit Police contract back in [[I think) 2009, and won. In theory, DPD officers should be randomly patrolling the buses now, but it's pretty rare for them to actually do so. I don't actually remember the WCS officers patrolling the buses for extended periods of time [[when I used to see them they usually got on, rode a couple stops, recorded the bus number, and got off again), but they did respond very promptly when drivers called them for help.

[Danny]

Everyone in Detroit and suburbs are living the infany when the Amalgamated Transit Union just walk off the D-DOT bus line and stay home. Their demands is 'more trasnit police or no city bus service'. KING BING and the Detroit City Council is very upset and shocked about this outcome. Thousands of Metro-Detroiters see that D-DOT is not coming their ghettohoods. This word is spreading even to the U.S. Government. They see when Detroit and other American cities are in dire straights.

Folks after 9-11 Americans are still living in fear! Fear that their way of life is dying. Fear when you lose your wants, turining to crime is last resort to stay alive. Jobs are dissapearing, homes are lost, our global ecomony is shambles. It's seams to me that the Mayans way of the end of the world starts with the collapse of human knowledge and wisdom. That's wha happent to them. It would happen to us if we don't fix our civilization.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

As I wait for Mad Max to come. Ten Year old Simon from Sir. William Golding's Book 'Lord of the Flies' said to the rest of kids who are trapped in the unknown tropical island. "I know who the beast is, It's all of us."

For the 99 Percenters and Guy Fawkes, Neda I miss you so.

[ordinary]

The bus drivers were trying to get somebody's attention and they sure did. That's what's been needed.