Corporations? Yeesh, I think I just threw up a little.

I want to address the TTC strike that happened on the weekend and the response it has been getting in the public eye. First of all, my beef with the ATC is that they promised 48 hours notice to the public and did not honour this promise. They claim it is because they feared retaliation from the public, but yet did they not think it would be worse when they came back to work? In my opinion, that was just one big excuse, and it wasn't a very good one at that. Second of all, yes, most of your executives were split on the contract. Why did you have to force a vote so soon? Work it out, you could have avoided this. The deal was sweet, but mostly for drivers. You couldn't make it fair for all your workers? That would have almost ensured a "yes" vote instead of the "no" that caused the strike.

Now here is my beef with the public and the government. The TTC workers have a right to strike. They shouldn't be working without a valid contract and if it is in the interest of the union, then that is their decision. If you don't want them to strike, then rule them as an essential service. Why is voting the TTC as an essential service such a big deal? Because it means they will make more money, probably have better benefits and cost the companies/city more - because you take away their right to strike. Hospitals, Police, Firefighters are just a few in the city who are considered essential. If you're going to order the TTC workers back to work, you better rule them as essential too, and now, don't wait for the next contract to expire.

My beef with the public is their lack of understanding. YES it inconvenienced you, YES it was a bother. YES you had to make alternative arrangements - but - had you been working for the TTC would you be bitching as much as you are? No, because it is your right as a union worker to strike when it is needed. I see facebook groups such as "Strike Back Against the TTC" - Now this is fucking ridiculous. Pardon my language. You are urging customers to just walk on without paying. If your local grocery store went on strike would you urge customers to walk in and steal products? NO, of course not. Just trying to walk onto the TTC is going to cause a backlash - against customers - not against the union you idiots. Now grow up and do something more appropriate if you are angry - write a letter, or speak to your local MPP, or attend one of the public TTC meetings. This will lead to positive results instead of you getting arrested and banned from the TTC.

Now onto my "favourite" of all companies, Rogers. Those of you who read my note on facebook will know the details of what I've been through with Rogers in the last few months. The short story is: they didn't send me a bill for months, and then were claiming it was my fault, and harassing me, even though I was calling constantly trying to get this figured out. So here is part million in my gazillion part series about why Rogers is the worst company in the world.

I finally found someone who was willing to deal with me, after the previous supervisor hung up on me after I waited 45 minutes to talk to them. I found Eric, a wonderful, friendly and seemingly competent worker. Finally! He apologized for all the trouble I was going through and seemed to move this process forward a little bit. He promised in one week to call me back. He didn't. Then I called to speak to him because I received my bill (finally) as he promised BUT it didn't have the details from December until March. I needed to see these details to pay the bill. The person I spoke to informed me they couldn't transfer me to him, but would send him an email requesting to call me. He didn't. Then another week later a lady called to harass me about my bill - again. So I explained the situation - again. She told me she was sorry and would get Eric to call me. Did he? NO. Another week has passed, and today I call. I ask to speak to Eric, but the CSR I spoke to, Alanna, was SO helpful I didn't need to speak to a manager, A REGULAR CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WAS ABLE TO FIX SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. These are the same problems they were unable to fix for the last few months. She went back and looked at my bills and mentioned that they were extraordinarily high and would look into it. She found the problems, and issued the credits dropping my bill by over 200%. She apologized for their ridiculous policies, and informed me that all the bills they claimed that I received and never did were actually returned to them and they were resending them to my house - but - IT WOULD TAKE THE BILLS ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO ARRIVE. So I will be getting my December bill in JULY. I asked her to fax it to me, and I was told Rogers doesn't have printers, or access to printers for security reasons. She couldn't even write it out and fax it to me because they are not allowed to have pens.

THIS COMPANY IS COMPLETELY INSANE!

She then noticed that they charged me $98 for my internet when it should have been $48, and transfered me to yet another incompetent employee in the internet department. He informed me that they were unable to to bill me just for one month at a time, and had billed me from February 1st to March 31st. Interesting. I started to argue it, but he told me this was right. I guess I will have to check my bill at home to see if the bill I just got for March has charged me for internet, if so, then they tripled charged me? My prediction is that they fucked that up too.

The other company I've been trying to deal with is CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) trying to get my T4's from 2005, and one from 2006. Let me just say that they are also ridiculous and that if I never had to deal with these companies again, it would be too soon.