A City of Wilting Roses.

I'm really sick of all the CUPE bashing.
Christ.
They are being kicked in the teeth non-stop.
They're a union fighting for something which is being taken away from them.
Why are they being villianized as horrific assholes by everyone?
Yeah - it sucks that the city is in shambles - and it sucks that there are support workers and social services folks who are unable to do their job...
Question: Why aren't these positions considered "essential services"?
Whose fault is it - right now - that the city looks pretty nasty?
I was even bitching earlier about how "the stirke better be resolved by the time Red Bull gets here" - but guess what?
When I went downtown for the Red Bull Races and the wonderful Carrousel of Nations party at Charles Clark Square...it wasn't garbage and uncut grass that was the problem.
It was the fact that half of Ouellette was shut down due to construction. Businesses losing out.
Who planned that?
Why was the street torn to pieces? I wasn't even sure if I could walk down Ouellette - by all those ignored businesses - because they were so fenced up.
THAT hurt us.
THAT hurt those businesses.
I didn't see any garbage - and if I did - it surely wasn't hindering any partying from going on.
How was it - that this major construction project was planned to coincide with downtown festival season?
I was disgusted.
I did see CUPE workers too.
Well...I heard about them.
I heard about them saying they are NOT going to cause a fuss downtown - even though they are on strike...that they were NOT going to cause a scene or stage a protest or a hold up for people trying to get to the City Hall area for the celebrations.
That's a right they gave up. They are on strike. It is their RIGHT to hold us up if they want.
But they chose not to. They chose not to make a shitty scene - shittier.
I heard about them saying they will NOT cause a scene for Art in the Park.
Today I hear about them cutting fields - for free - as a favour.
Yeah - there are assholes in every single group...but let's look at the bigger picture here:
Windsor is a mess.
It hurts me to say that - but we have to admit this - and look the problems in the face - directly in the eye if we are EVER going to figure out how to fix them.
And we can fix them. But we need to at least address them, at least acknowlege them, clearly, assertively - aggressively.
But - that's the reality: Windsor isn't at her best right now...and unfortunately, CUPE workers are an outlet to take out our aggression, anger and frustration on - because they are in the public eye.
And we are a union town.
And unions...shit...need I even go there?
So many union folks out of work...and then they hear about more union issues with CUPE.
You hear things, people saying stuff like: "They should be lucky they have a god damned job at all!"
That's the attitude. It's tension and frustration from all sides.
I get it. The frustration has just caused a GIGANTIC KNOT in this city.
A huge knot - and it's tied our hands.
I know we all have to make "cuts". But there's a line. And it's been crossed.
I'm not about to bash the mayor or city council or union workers or Windsorites who are pissed - because we ALL have a right to be pissed.
The problem is - there is good in everything, and we're having a hard ass time trying to dig it out right now.
Problems aren't being handled properly. They're not being addressed - or ego is getting in the way from them being addressed properly.
Everyone has an opinion - and this isn't being respected. It's dividing us.
It's sad.
I'm sick of people ripping on workers for taking a stand.
Workers get shat on. A lot.
And the higher-ups reap the "benefits" and the bonuses and the fruits of their labour.
Does every single work place offer lifetime benefits?
No.
But - it's a CITY JOB.
Let's keep some pride here.
Let's make it a job we WANT - a position WORTH WHILE.
It's our future.
If the workers can't be proud and feel lucky and priveleged to have special benefits - benefits which they fought for... I mean...I just don't see why this has all of a sudden become such a big deal.
What's the point of a union?
Of paying union dues?
What's the point if it can all be taken away?
I'm asking not to be a smart-ass...I'm asking because I only don't know.
I'm just asking as an ignorant observer.
I'm not going to pretend I know all the details and the ins and outs - there are always a gazillion sides to every story - but what I am seeing right now - from my little chunk of delusional la-la land - is a whole bunch of childish stubbornness.
Ugliness.
I look around the city I love and I feel myself frown with worry, I gnaw on my fingernails when I drive by over-grown parks - and I'm sitting on the edge of my seat when I watch city council every Monday night, hoping for the best - but I usually end up shaking my head.
I never take a second of my own employment for granted. I don't.
And I certainly don't begrudge CUPE workers for taking a stand.
Since I've started writing these rants, I've always been on the same side: OURS.
We're a city.
We forget that.
We think of ourselves in clumps:
Auto-workers.
Unemployed auto workers.
City Counsellors.
Striking CUPE workers.
Frustrated city people.

We're all in the EXACT same boat: A city of wilting roses.
We have so much going for us, why in the world are we pissing all over it?

I'm not saying I have a solution - but I can say - this whole mess is not being handled well.
All things considered - we're getting by.

But barely. And for how much longer?

How much longer can we last like this?

I'm only asking because I don't know the solution or the answer to ANYTHING I've addressed in this.
I'm just stating it - as something I've seen, observed.
I don't know anything - except that it hurts to see the city I love in such a sad state.

If you can't agree with that - that this is a sad state we are in - well...you win.
You're the better person.

I'm not trying to be a depressing defeatist.
If anything - this could be good for us. This is our chance to come together. To learn from mistakes and hopefully - be better for it in the future.

It's just that right now...I don't see us coming together.
I see name calling. I see fences going up. I see lines being drawn.

I see division - when we should be seeing unity.
We're still a city.

Together - we should be one.
One city.

But - it's not like that, right now.

Was it ever?