The gang at YouTube Channel WeSupport7990 have released a new video showing some of the illegal DVD sales in the OC Transpo driver’s lounge at 1500 St. Laurent. If a picture is worth a 1000 words (see new photo), how many words are contained in this video?
Enjoy,
Liz
Support7990's Blog 
April 19, 2010 at 12:11 am |
You are sad people, if you are really serious about corruption within the City Of Ottawa, then go bigger than this as not many will give a rat’s behind about a few DVD’s being peddled at OC as they do about millions, upon millions of their tax dollars being mis-spent each year!
April 19, 2010 at 7:29 am |
Joe,
Do you have any specific details regarding your allegation the City of Ottawa has mis-spent millions upon millions of our tax dollars each year?
I confess, I don’t know the size of the annual budget for the City of Ottawa. Do you know the size of the annual budget ?
Where do you think the most mis-spent money is allocated ?
You might be correct, perhaps not many people care about City of Ottawa property being used to peddle illegal DVDs. In your opinion, does the lack of concern make it acceptable?
Liz
May 14, 2010 at 4:33 pm |
Joe, it’s not about the fact that this “minor” illegal activity is going on at OC Transpo or not anymore; it’s about the fact that Allen was ultimately let go as a result of him basically doing what he was told (reporting any sort of legal activity to managers). The only side of your story (assuming you’re against operator 7990) that I’ve heard is that he ratted some fellow employees out. While that may be seen as petty, sneaky and devious to them, he was nonetheless following rules. This isn’t kindergarten. 7990 was bullied out of his job.
April 19, 2010 at 8:11 am |
At OC specifically,look at the new garage for starters, then look at the fareboxes they spent over 3 million on, then look at contracting out repairs, repairs which end up not being done properly many times and need to be fixed by OC mechanics, look at the lies about saving 4 million/year if they got control of scheduling on driver salaries, having to hire 100 less drivers and purchasing 100 less buses once they got control of scheduling. That’s just off the top of my head for starters, the expenditures sure are more than a few dvd’s being sold i bet.
April 19, 2010 at 8:27 am |
To Joe:
I have read your extensive comments. I have a question. I hope it won’t offend you. You claim this blog is insignificant. You claim it won’t accomplish anything. You claim this blog is pointless prose. You claim very few people read it. You claim those who read it don’t care about the content. If all of the above is true, why do you claim the existence of this blog causes problems for you?
Thank you,
Charles
April 19, 2010 at 8:55 am |
Dear Joe,
I confess, I don’t know anything about the cost of fare boxes, the improper repair work, someones claim to save $4,000,000.00 a year, the hiring of drivers or the purchase of buses. Thus I cannot write about it or formulate a campaign to bring it to anyone’s attention. Since you mentioned it, might I ask about the action you are taking to expose it?
My purpose here is very simple. I believe Allen didn’t do anything to deserve to be fired. I also believe the process you claim he should follow is complete B.S. As I understand it, OC Transpo (City of Ottawa) has a contract with the union to only terminate employment for just cause. I read the letter of termination and just cause was not stated. Allen tells me he asked Mr. Mercier to tell him the just cause for his termination and received no answer.
In my opinion, OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa did not act in good faith. They violated the contract when they terminated Allen’s employment without just cause, and as a taxpayer in the City of Ottawa I am offended. Then when I am told the details preceding Allen’s termination, his report of the illegal activity, I get the distinct feeling something is very wrong with Allen’s termination of employment.
I would hope other taxpayers would be equally outraged, so I created this support blog for Allen. There might be other issues in the City of Ottawa which would cause me to be upset, but the only one I know very well concerns Allen’s unjust, unfair and unwarranted termination of employment. Call me biased if you want to, I have no problem with that.
Liz
BTW, I await your answer to the question Charles put to you.
April 19, 2010 at 8:48 am |
I said the blog is leading people to believe that what is being said here and by Allan is 100% truth, and it is not. It is ONE SIDE of a story, yet is painted to be all truth and facts but that isn’t true.
Liz: the owner of this blog believes what Allen said is 100% true.
Liz: individual readers can draw their own conclusions.
Liz: Strange that you claim to know Allen is guilty of something,
Liz: but won’t say what that might be.
As for making things difficult, it was in reference to going on a media blitz, therefore making an already surly public even worse in their opinions of bus drivers who work at OC. As I said before, we deal with enough crap each day, adding fuel to the fire is not wanted.
Liz: you can’t have it both ways
Liz: either this blog is read by many and it is affecting
Liz: you in your day to day work, or it isn’t
Liz: you previously made claims I am accomplishing nothing
I also stated that I don’t like that this is being done to try and fast track a Union members case, while other Union members wait their turns to go through the grievance process. Allan said he didn’t want any special treatment yet that is exactly what he wants in this regard.
Liz: please don’t mistake what I want with what Allen wants
In regards to this blog, it is singling out a very small thing that happened (dvd selling) and trying to make it an important issue, yet there are many more important issues that are wrong with OC Transpo, but nobody is talking much about them as they don’t concern Allan’s case.
Liz: are you saying, as a taxpayer in the City of Ottawa,
Liz: I have no right to express my concern over illegal activity
Liz: conducted on City of Ottawa property?
Liz: in my opinion it is THE issue, with respect to Allen being fired
April 19, 2010 at 9:13 am |
I didn’t say he was guilty of anything, I state that you can’t know for sure if he is guilty or innocent just because he claims he did NOTHING wrong.
It is hard for readers to draw their own conclusions when they get a biased and one sided story though isn’t it?
For the last time, I referenced the PROPOSED media blitz of trying to get newspapers and tv news outlets involved, not what has been done so far!
If you were concerned with things that are wrong as a taxpayer with the City Of Ottawa, one driver peddling some DVD’s is small potatoes compared with some stuff that goes on.
April 19, 2010 at 8:53 am |
I forgot to add that it makes it seem like the people involved with allan are hiding behind the “we want to make OC a better place” as the reason for what they are doing, and the reality is they are after Allan getting his job back, not so much about improving things at OC and/or The City Of Ottawa.
Liz: in my opinion, OC Transpo would be a better place if
Liz: employees were not fired without just cause and
Liz: forced to follow a long process to return to work
Doubt this, then why aren’t they organizing a big blitz about the amount of money being mismanaged by City Council (look at the new OC Garage funding as a good example), the expenditures at OC on contracting out work, which costs much more than if done in house ( and often not done properly), etc, etc, etc…. There is far more wrong with OC Transpo than one guy selling bootleg movies, that is a rain drop in a lake as a comparison.
Liz: in my opinion, the other issues you speak of
Liz: are not connected to Allen being fired.
Liz: Allen was fired as a direct result of reporting illegal
Liz: activity in the driver’s rooms of OC Transpo
Liz: thus I am not focused on those other issues.
Liz: are we done with this yet, I don’t think I can
Liz: explain myself any better than I have.
April 19, 2010 at 9:25 am |
There are many more important things that would make OC a better place that i’d choose over that, as would most drivers.
No, YOU and Allan state he was fired for that, but neither of you can know if that is why he was fired at all do you? This is what bothers me, you make an assumption and try to pass it off here as the truth, when you TRUTHFULLY have no idea why he was fired.
Liz: How more open could I be? I make statements regarding
Liz: what I believe. The reader is free to make up their own
Liz: mind. I have made it very clear I choose to beleive
Liz: Allen did nothing wrong. I have also stated the core of
Liz: that belief is my trust and faith in Allen and the failure
Liz: of OC Transpo, and Mr. Mercier, to state the just cause
Liz: for his termination of employment.
Liz: Again, I cannot be more clear than that.
You say you aren’t focused on other issues, but you have claimed that other issues are part of why you are going through this whole mess in other posts, which one is it? Sometimes you say it is only to get Allan’s job back, then other times it is for other things relating to OC and City.
Liz: I believe I stated the management style was at the root
Liz: of all problems at OC Transpo. Thus if one issue could
Liz: produce a change of management, everyone would
Liz: benefit. In my opinion, Allen’s unjust termination
Liz: might just provide a pathway to change.
April 19, 2010 at 9:09 am |
The issues about spending were told to the public during and after the strike, yet nobody cares as long as their buses are running. It is sad but true, they take it out on drivers for things beyond our control, like fares constantly being raised. If the mismanaged spending were corrected, maybe fares wouldn’t go up every year, or at least not by as much as they do.
Liz: these issues don’t appear to have been a factor in
Liz: Allen’s termination of employment.
Liz: You seem to having a difficult time comprehending
Liz: what is important to me on a personal level.
welcome to being an employee at the City Of Ottawa and how we get treated in regards to our contract being violated. They are violating the new arbitrators decision in over 200 different ways, it was in the newspapers, yet guess what happened AGAIN…no outrage from he public in any way! And guess what we have to do to get them to abide by the contract (as has been done numerous times with other issues with previous contracts btw)….we have to go through a drawn out process with the labor board. sound familiar, that sounds like what is happening with Allan’s case doesn’t it? It stinks, but that is how it is done by the City, and i’m sorry, seeing them constantly violate our contracts over and over again and knowing what it takes to get action is why I tell you all here that this blog and Allan’s allegations won’t make them hurry up any, they simply don’t care!
Liz: from what you wrote, you should welcome an opportunity
Liz: to break free from a defective process.
The only thing I can say to you is without knowing the entire story, how can you accept ONE person’s word as 100% factual truth? I’m not saying what has been done to Allan is right, but until it is known what happened with certainty, no decision can be made. The process sucks indeed, but that’s what we have to work with, and stirring up a pile of trouble that can make my job crappier does bother me, as management makes it crappy enough thank you.
Liz: Joe, do you have any very close friends or family members
Liz: who you trust completely? Hopefully you do, and I hope they
Liz: have the same depth of trust in you. That is the level of
Liz: faith and trust I have in Allen.
Liz: At this point I will ask you to go read the post made by Charles
Liz: and then answer his question. Pretty please. Thank you.
April 19, 2010 at 9:27 am |
I answered his question long before you started replying to my last couple of posts, I thought they had to be approved by you, so how you didn’t see my answer to Charles is unknown by me.
Liz: Joe, I went back and looked and I did not see a clear
Liz: answer to the question Charles asked.
Yup, they trust me, BUT as I said, anyone can lie when faced with a desperate situation. People can tend to bend the truth or see things they did as being a different way than they truly were sometimes, that is human nature. NOBODY has gone through life and never lied before.
Liz: in my opinion, you are implying Allen did something wrong and
Liz: you appear to believe his is lying.
Liz: I choose to believe he did nothing wrong.
Liz: even as an objective person outside the situation,
Liz: I think I would come to the same conclusion.
April 19, 2010 at 9:31 am |
Forgot to mention that sure we’d love to be free of such a process, but this tiny blog isn’t going to change that in any way. If constantly going to court and the labor board hasn’t changed the way this City operates, then i seriously doubt a blog will accomplish that either. If you can’t see that, then you must be blind.
Liz: Joe, please grant me the illusion of making a difference.
Liz: please stop your repeated attempts to burst my bubble.
April 19, 2010 at 10:08 am |
I did not say that he is lying at all in any post here at this blog. I have talked to Allan via email, he knows my feelings about him and his case.
My problem with the blog is simple: it portrays one side of what happened and tries to have people believe that everything said by Allan and his supporters is 100% truth only, and this is incorrect.
I don’t like that people with opposing view points have their posts not shown here because you and/or Allan say it isn’t true, when we don’t know if everything Allen says is true either.
I actually think it is better for Allan to answer the questions and set straight by his view the stories some people/drivers asked here. Talking to him through email cleared up for me some of the stuff that was being said and what he had to say about the validity of such things. I understand completely not letting people post anything hateful and such though of course.
Most would come to the same conclusion because they only have a one sided point of view here to see.
Sorry for you thinking i’m trying to burst your bubble, I am really just trying to show you how the City does business in such matters, maybe then some people will see how difficult it is to be a City employee next time contract negotiations break down at least.
——————————————
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
Joe, I’m going to be up front with you. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, for one last time. This blog is my creation and promoting my opinion that Allen was fired without just cause. If you feel there needs to be another blog listing the reasons you think his termination was justified, go ahead, create one.
From this point on, I will not approve your posts unless you have something NEW to say. You are simply repeating yourself, and then I repeat myself when I answer your posts. If you mix something new with the same old “this blog doesn’t present the opposing point of view” mantra, I will delete the redundant content before I approve your post.
I firmly believe any intelligent reader understands why I wouldn’t approve a post which contains an unsubstantiated attack on Allen. If the poster will not identify themselves and the source of their information, I won’t approve the post. No different then when a newspaper chooses not to print a story.
If you want to ask Allen a question, feel free, but do it without making an allegation.
Example 1: Allen, did OC Transpo representatives ever inform you of the reason for your termination?
Example 2: Allen, did OC Transpo representatives ever claim you did anything wrong which would justify your termination?
BAD Example : Allen, did you smuggle Prop Wash when you worked as an intergalactic truck driver?
Hopefully my point is clear.
April 19, 2010 at 11:43 am |
To Liz:
Your point is very clear to me.
Thank you,
Charles
April 19, 2010 at 12:04 pm |
I’m not sure Joe understands, but I do. 🙂
April 19, 2010 at 10:10 am |
I forgot to ask you, what are these hateful blogs about Allan you referred to previously?
Liz: do a google search on 7990 an perhaps one will pop up.
Liz: on one of the sites there was a mass deletion of posts a while ago.
Liz: I guess some people realized they might be open to criminal prosecution
Liz: for making assertions they could not prove.
April 19, 2010 at 11:54 am |
I know the site you speak of about mass deletions, and that had nothing to do with criminal prosecution, OC employees have been told to stop commenting on Allen’s allegations.
I don’t know of any other sites promoting hatred towards him.
– – – –
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
I don’t recall saying there were sites promoting hatred. I think I said there were other sites where people were posting rumours. I did do a quick look for my previous comments about other sites, but I didn’t find them (yet). In the future I would appreciate you making a direct quote of my comments and not rephrasing them. Point being, you obviously know the site I was referencing. Why the posts were deleted could be debated, but I am not going to waste time on that.
Are you saying OC Transpo has the authority to tell their employees what they can and cannot post on internet blog sites when they are not at work? I await your reply.
April 19, 2010 at 1:06 pm
People at other jobs have been fired for any sort of criticism aimed at their employer before due to internet blog statements, so I believe the drivers are being careful not to have that happen to them once someone was warned.
City monitors that site, that much we do know as someone told us as much and one driver was warned about a post after a complaint was received by a certain person he was complaining about (nothing to do with Allen). I would be sure they are watching this blog as well, as Steve said, i’d be careful what you say and do with regards to this blog, i sometimes expect to be called in for commenting about Allan as well someday.
April 19, 2010 at 10:30 am |
I see people trading or looking at someones DVD/CD collection. Is this what this whole thing is about. I thought someone got fired for selling DVD’s and wants their job back. I hope this guy didn’t get fired for showing or selling his DVD’s
Don’t see anything illegal here.
People sell stuff at work everywhere…chocolates, 50 50 draws, raising money for someone…
—————————-
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
The video clip shows the sale of illegal DVDs (pirated or bootlegged movies).
For example, the movie AVATAR was released in theatres at the end of 2009, the DVD release date is scheduled for late April 2010. AVATAR DVDs were being sold in the OC Transpo driver’s lounges in February 2010.
April 19, 2010 at 11:22 am |
Oh I didn’t know they were bootlegged. How do you know this?
My wife and I got to flee markets and they sell stuff like this everywhere.
All I am saying is that I can’t see why OC would fire a guy for selling videos at work. Allen should have just been asked not to sell DVD’s at work. But to fire him for selling them is just wrong.
——————————-
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
Allen was not selling DVDs, he reported the illegal sale of bootleg DVDs to OC Transpo management and was subsequently harassed by fellow bus operators when they learned he had reported the activity. Following an investigation into the harassment of Allen (bus operator 7990), Allen’s employment was terminated. OC Transpo did not provide a just cause for Allen’s termination. Thus I am of the opinion Allen’s termination was unfair, unwarranted and very suspicious.
I know the DVDs being sold were bootlegs because I have seen the evidence. As I said, AVATAR on DVD was sold in the driver’s lounge in February 2010.
April 19, 2010 at 11:53 am |
Got It…Sorry I thought Allen was selling the videos…Sorry!
Never the less….I read the whole blog now and think I know what’s going on….
If this was me I am not sure that I would be going this route to re-establish Allen’s employment…
Trying to bring down big brother will be a near impossible task. If your motivation is to establish that OC was aware and thus terminated Allen because he reported it…maybe.
I would bet that someone is reading this at OC/City….why play your hand in full view of everyone…..I wouldn’t.
My labour skill are kind of rusty, but I think that employers have the right to dismis a person while under probation with little to no cause.
Is Allen trying to get OC to say why he was let go?
I also found some other info on Allen, looks and seems like a good person. I think his efforts were a bit mis-directed, reporting things etc…but too late now.
I would be more concerned that he reported an incident, in confidence, to his boss and it was released….By whom?? It doesn’t seem that OC coached Allen in a proper fashion, or Allen ignored his bosses direction.
Best of luck with your cause.
Is the Union representing him while his termination is going through a typical grevience? If it is, I don’t think they would support this blog, just my opinion.
Again, good luck with your challenges ahead!
Steve
April 21, 2010 at 1:42 pm |
“OC Transpo did not provide a just cause for Allen’s termination”
I re-read everything including letters from the City…
They did provide a reason for Allen termination. Whether you agree with it or not makes for good litagation, but they did provide a reason.
Steve
——————-
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
It seems the “reason” given is not anywhere close to grounds for termination, based on conversations with other people who are employed by the City of Ottawa. Technically, it appears not satisfy the requirements to be considered a reason. It is more of a statement which would precede a reason, as in:
“We found you unsuitable for ongoing employment due to . . . . .”
Also, probationary employees are usually, as per City of Ottawa policy, given an opportunity to correct problems, which might be grounds for termination, prior to being terminated.
May 18, 2010 at 8:53 pm |
know what? An employer doesn’t need a reason to terminate you. At least they don’t have to give you a reason as long as the minimum severance is paid. In Ontario the law states that severance is one week per year employed up to (I think) a max of 17 weeks. So long, good-bye, adios, here’s your cheque.
I think it’s interesting to note that most large corporations get rid of problem employees by firing without cause… much less exposure to litigation that way.
Just thought I’d pop in and comment, judging by the comments generated by your newest post, this place has become quite the yawn.
Best of luck.
Liz (blog moderator) writes:
I agree, in a non union environment the situation you describe would apply, unless there were some other issue such as discrimination. However, OC Transpo bus operators are unionized and their contract clearly says “termination only with just cause”. Thus the failure of the City of Ottawa (OC Transpo) to provide just cause will be at the heart of any grievance process.
From what I have been told, which means it may not be 100% fact, the City of Ottawa (OC Transpo) is in the habit of firing employees and forcing the union to grieve unjust terminations. Some people, within the union, consider this practice to be an attempt to bankrupt the union (ATU 279).
One person told me OC Transpo’s repeated use of the “fire and forget” approach allows them to effectively bypass the intent of the union contract. OC Transpo doesn’t pay a fine or face any consequence when they are told they must re-hire a worker (who was unjustly fired), thus they can fire anyone at any time and not have to worry about the worker returning for 2 or 3 years. By the time the worker returns the people involved in the termination (the managers who fire the employee) have likely moved on to other positions. On the other side of the situation, anyone who has to wait 2 to 3 years to get their job back (via the grievance process) will most likely have moved on to something else in life and won’t go back to work at OC Transpo. Thus OC Transpo can fire without just cause, even though the collective agreement prohibits doing so, and essentially get away with it.
May 19, 2010 at 2:41 pm |
all I have to say is that I agree. The city is infraction-suspend-fire happy, and has been for quite some time. It’s their version of “managing”.