Speaking of the Blue Collar labour dispute, Paul puts things into perspective:
Gratified as I am that the blue collar workers have seen fit, in their infinite grace, to perform some cursory salting and de-icing on the sidewalks of some major arteries, I don’t live on one of those, but on the myriad of small streets in the Snowdon area. Moreover, my street is on a slope.
Therefore, allow me to explain the joy that is my life every time I have to take my dog outside: I open the front door, descend the stairs, reach the sidewalk, and try my damnedest by using a combination of tap-dancing, the Funky Chicken, and walking like a penguin to keep myself from sliding into parked cars, or all the way down the street on my face.
Granted, I’ll admit that one can have nothing more than a passing acquaintance with the adjective “funny” until you’ve seen your dog slip, spin one hundred and eighty degrees in the air, and fall flat on his back whilst taking a leak, but, all comedy aside, this is no way to live. (I should also note that comedy value decreases exponentially if one’s dog is still on its leash and one ends up sprawled across the hood of a car whilst laughing.)
Where I live (NDG), it’s no better. Even at the best of times, the sidewalk by my building isn’t exactly well-maintained. These days, it’s a veritable skating rink. If you think it’s easy skating in heels, *you* try it while carrying 5 bags of groceries.
The Blue Collar workers who agreed to binding arbitration but kicked up a fuss when it didn’t come out in their favour are being petty and nonsensical. They’re also endangering plenty of people who have to get around on dangerously slippery sidewalks. They’re predicting more freezing rain for tomorrow, and the workers had better get their acts together before the situation gets much, much worse. As Paul says:
To sum things up, I stand by my original statement. Montreal’s blue collar workers’ union is made up of lazy, overpaid, inconsiderate arseclowns. If they think that the public is behind them, they’re very sadly mistaken, and I would like to see them called on the carpet for the massive amount of injury and inconvenience that witholding basic services has inflicted upon the residents of this city.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Paul.
I’m glad that we’re very much on the same side of this issue, Sari. (And cheers for the link as well, by the way.)
Can’t the city get an injunction to force them back to work, or maybe the citizens could start a class action suit against the union? Or both, come to think of it.
The city does have an injunction to force them back to work. So far, they’ve been slow to cooperate with the courts.