Get Back to Work
Another winter storm is hitting southern Saskatchewan and right on cue the SGEU strike has escalated to include highway workers that are responsible for clearing and salting the highways. Murray Wood just interviewed Patrick book who has been on the Trans Canada highway since around 6 a.m. this morning and hasn't seen a snow plow yet.
I'm a government employee that belongs to a union, but not the SGEU, and I do not think these guys should be striking. In fact if there are any injuries, or loss of life on a particular stretch of highway, those who were scheduled to work in that area should be held personally responsible.
City of Regina. Wind warning in effect.Today..Periods of snow and blowing snow. Amount 2 cm. Wind northwest 60 km/h gusting to 80. Temperature falling to minus 9 this afternoon.Tonight..Cloudy periods. Clearing near midnight. Wind northwest 30km/h becoming light overnight. Low minus 15.Tuesday..Sunny with cloudy periods. Becoming cloudy late in the morning with 40 percent chance of flurries in the afternoon and earlyin the evening. Wind becoming southeast 30 km/h late in the morning.High minus 5.
Fort Qu'Appelle - Indian Head - Lumsden - Pilot Butte. Wind warning in effect.Today..Periods of snow and blowing snow. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind northwest 60 km/h gusting to 80. Temperature falling to minus 9 this afternoon.Tonight..Cloudy periods. Clearing near midnight. Wind northwest 30km/h becoming light overnight. Low minus 15.Tuesday..Sunny with cloudy periods. Becoming cloudy late in the morning with 40 percent chance of flurries in the afternoon and earlyin the evening. Wind becoming southeast 30 km/h late in the morning.High minus 5.
Yorkton - Melville - Esterhazy. Today..Periods of snow ending this afternoon then cloudy. Amount 2cm. Wind north 20 km/h. High minus 10.Tonight..Clearing early this evening. Wind northwest 30 km/h. Low minus 15.Tuesday..Increasing cloudiness. 70 percent chance of flurries in the evening. Wind becoming southeast 30 km/h late in the day. High minus10.
Moose Jaw - Pense - Central Butte - Craik. Wind warning in effect.Today..Periods of snow and blowing snow. Wind northwest 60 km/h gusting to 80. Temperature falling to minus 8 this afternoon.Tonight..Clearing early this evening. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light near midnight. Temperature steady near minus 10.Tuesday..Increasing cloudiness early in the morning. Wind becoming south 20 km/h in the morning. High minus 3.
Assiniboia - Gravelbourg - Coronach. Wind warning in effect.Today..A mix of sun and cloud with 70 percent chance of flurries. Blowing snow. Wind northwest 60 km/h gusting to 80. Temperature falling to minus 9 this afternoon.Tonight..Clear. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light near midnight. Low minus 12.Tuesday..Sunny with cloudy periods. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h in the morning. High zero.
Labels: politics, Saskatchewan, weather
posted by Ross at 19:04
7 Comments:
Do you know any highway workers? Did you know that when weather is like this - they relly can't do anything about the highways even if they were at work...the wind blows the sand and salt right off the road anyway...I think this is the perfect day to go on strike for them...maybe people will appreciate the work they do - if conditions are not good - stay off the road - simple as that! What about the highway workers themselves - everyone thinks it is OK for them to be out in this...AND why isnt' the media telling all the facts....management got a 16% raise - for doing what - now they can go out there and do the actual work and maybe realize that their highway workers are worth a raise!!
well - I guess winter is the best time for them to make a point - no one cares about the highway workers in the summer when everthing is great. I'll tell you one thing , you couldn't pay me enough to pick up bloated maggot-filled dead animals off the highway on a hot day !! The Department of Highways is probably the only Crown corporation that doesn't make any money, so I guess if we don't want to worry about having to pay tolls etc. then pay them more for the work they do!!! I think they deserve a raise - they work all night (when needed to) so commuters can get to work the next morning...and if people want to consider them an essential service - then pay them as an essential service!!
i agree that their job isn't easy, and that management might not deserve the salaries they take home.
i will also agree with you that if they had taken strike action in the summer no one would take any notice.
even if they aren't able to do a lot during a storm there won't be anyone to clean up after the storms passes except the managers that are trained to operate the trucks and machinery, and because they aren't out there everyday they won't be doing anything but a half assed job anyways.
Ross ++
Highway workers going out in the winter is criminal.
Rural Saskatchewan depends on the road network. We can't live without transportation.
There aren't any hospitals out here, there aren't any superstores out here.
Legislate them back to work or hire contractors. There is no and/if/or in the case of a heart-attack.
lance
like i said in the post, the drivers and operators should be held personally responsible for their actions.
i also read somewhere today that the SGEU said that people traveling in bad weather knowing that the highway workers are on strike should be held responsible if they have any accident or the like. that is complete bullshit, those people that make their living traveling on saskatchewan roads and highways depend on clear roads to do their jobs effectively, especially ambulance drivers, police officers, and to a lesser extent bus/transit, and truck drivers.
Im new to blogging and cannot fig out how to get my name on here. I am Jody, rural girl who depends on highways to get to and from the big city to my job.- which by the way - would survive if I had to stay home because of bad driving conditions. I am proud to say that I personally know some present and past highway workers. this blog caught my attention- good points made here , but sorry - to say they should be personnally responsible for injuries or loss of life is a little much. Highway workers cannot control the weather , there are and will be accidents with or without a strike. They cannot stop freezing rain and heavy snowfall, they work with what they got and if there is a strong wind - then forget it. What about Eastern Canada and ice storms - are the highway workers there responsible for any loss of life? Come on - drivers have to use common sense and take responsibility too. Was there loss of life when the nurses were on strike? Besides, most rural areas have trained emergency first responders and a grocery store.
Anyone with a job always wants better - you can't tell me they don't. I am sure that everyone who has ever been on this blog has at one time or another thought they deserved more. Its interesting how defensive we get when someone else feels the same way.
Bottom line is, they are regular guys, trying to make a living, they are someones husband , dad, son, brother, friend etc - who happens to have a job on a snowplow, and have no choice but to have a portion of their pay-cheque going to union dues. They dont' want to see anyone hurt out there. they don't control that Unions back the political parties, who in turn get into government because of that and then turn on their supporters.These workers are not the bad guys - they are pawns in this big power struggle here. talk to them - ask them when was the last time they got a raise, and if the rising cost of living is affecting them like it does all of us. Minimum wage went up and is goign up again - they deserve it - I think its great, I also think that these guys who risk their lives out there in on the ice and in the snow storms for us to have a clear path to work deserve soemthing extra too.that is all I have to say
i have no illusions that these guys can control the weather. i was harsh when i said that individual workers should be held responsible, but so was the union leadership when they said that those people that take to the roads are responsible for what happens to them while the union membership is on strike.
my job requires me to drive on saskatchewan highways regardless of weather conditions. so if the next time i go to work and the highway workers are still on strike, the highways haven't been salted or cleared after this last blast of winter and even though i have been trained well and will be driving very carefully i get into an accident, or hit the ditch and delay or injure one of my passengers, I will be held responsible even though i didn't have a choice to work in those hypothetical conditions.
and the best i can tell, to get your name displayed on comments you need to sign into blogger at the bottom of the comment field if you have an account or there should be some field to enter your name, email, website, etc..
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