Jim Watson's Burgher Summit

In society the values of freedom and democracy are accepted as the norm. In contrast, the relationship between employers and employees is based on the subordination of the employee, and this is the source of conflict.
Larry Suffield, Labour Relations, Second Edition, 2008, p. 9

If the buses stop rolling, Gentleman Jim's political career is over. If you don't believe that last statement is true, just call up Larry O'Brien and ask him! So when the Oracle of Ottawa got the first word that the Mayor of
Ottawa called the interested parties to lunch to hammer out the recent kinks at OC Transpo, the Oracle of Ottawa figured that His Worship would come to his senses and employ some of the perquisites that comes with his office. And let the Oracle of Ottawa tell you dear reader the mayor of Ottawa has a very nice office! I can say that, because quite simply, I have seen it! Ensuite shower, lots of room(s), and there are several very nice conference rooms nearby that would provide a most congenial setting for the breaking of bread in a most collegial atmosphere. Considering what was at stake, if the Oracle of Ottawa was holding this event, it would have been somewhat understated epicurean! I mean considering the money at stake, what is the pocket change for the services of a decent executive caterer?

Some management styles don't work very well...

But alas no, the squeaking little man opted out for burgers at Wendy's? The party included His Worship, Diane Deans, present transit chairwoman, union boss Gary Queale and aide, and that vertically challenged acting mangler of OC Transpo, one Alain Mercier. Later in the day the press conference appeared on the local vulgar media. The Oracle of Ottawa caught the CBC local version. One can learn a lot from not only listening but from watching. The real leader in the group is Gary Queale, when he stepped up and took over the mayors lectern with both hands, (!) all the players watching now knew who was really wearing the pants, so to speak. The shocked look on the Mayors face was priceless. It was brilliant proof that Mr. Queale was not from CUPE 503! Then came that little insect manager, who realizing he is hanging by a thread, was doing the French bullshit hand ballet...the Oracle of Ottawa immediately concluded that he is toast. That guy looked like some one from history, I just can't place who, but it is really creepy...

Adrien Arcand looks a lot like....

This is the same manager that was caught dead to rights texting / talking and driving a short while back. End result nothing! Catch a union card carrying bus driver on video talking on a cell phone dead heading an empty bus and you would think the guy was Adolf Eichmann! The person hurt the most by all this is Diane Deans. There will be no more approaches by any political party for anything. All the hands at the City know that many many longer serving people have been ditched "under the bus" so to speak for so much less than what some of these pathetic alleged "managers" get away with...Credibility once lost at that level is all but unrecoverable.

One ponders the mystery of the destruction of once promising careers by the unfounded faith in a little pathetic skid mark that is more suited to running a wall mart in Mexico... I will leave that to you the readers and the hapless taxpayers...

We used to have every reason in the world to be proud of our bus system, is this string of events a neo-liberal case of starve, kill and privatize?