As Windsor is crippled by the Walker Road closure, you don’t hear too much about the status of the project these days.
With nearly no one around, and Walker Rd. silent, I decided to take a trip down there to see what’s going on.
It looks like the tracks have been raised significantly from where the grade crossing was before construction was.
The Bridge appears to be partially in place, and it looks like there is the beginnings of the underpass being dug out.
Good too see that this project is rolling along.
I have been thre numerous times as well and noticed hardly anyone around each time I was there. I wonder why that is? Lets hope it can meet the completion date.
You have to drive down Walker Road up to St. Julien, park on the west Chrysler parking lot from there you will have a better view of this project. The underpass is nearly dug out and the new bridge is well underway. In other words all construction is on the north side of the tracks.
Thanks Daniel, I’ll check it out from the North Side.
The bridge that you currently see is the temp bridge to be used while the permanent version is excavated and built.
Well the thing you guys are calling a bridge, is not really a bridge at all. All it is is shored up walls, keep the dirt and such from moving while the trains go around. I have been following the project for a bit now, and I got some recent pictures on Sunday. You can see the updates from when they first closed the road in August, to when the first day of the Bypass track was put in, and to know where they are digging the hole on the north side of the tracks.
http://www.trainweb.org/swontariotrain/walkerrd/walkerrd.html
No one around doing construction during the day? You would think that the closure of a main artery such as Walker road that affects so many people would be high on the list for completion by city government. No wonder it’s going to take well almost 2 years to build a railway overpass. Ridiculous. The Ambassador Bridge company says they can build a second span in 36 months.
I was told that it is a provincial project. From what I was told, the city was pushing for round the clock 24/7 until done (read: more expensive) but the province insisted on banker’s hours (read: cheaper).
Everyone’s lost time, lost commerce, etc. was obviously not factored into these calcs. 😉
I don’t understand how this could be more expensive to run a 24 hour operation. Considering the unemployment rate in Windsor I would imagine yoiu wouldn’t HAVE to give premium wages to work at night. They do it in the USA quite a lot. But then I guess the union would be up in arms over it.
It only took the original builders of the bridge a couple of years and that was by steam shovels and cables. It is absurd how long it takes to do things today considering our technology.
Politics. Unionism. Safety. Environmentalism. Not all the reasons certain processes take longer are bad, but some of them are bad (like the political infighting over the 401-to-Bridge route).
I take it you’ve seen the ‘Building the Bridge’ video? It’s enough to make your hair curl. I don’t know if there were any fatalities but it would amaze me if they pulled that off without someone getting hurt.
“ME” Just to reply to your comment about blaming the unions again.
If they did work nights it would not be premium rate but they may be entitled to a shift premium.
If they did work nights they would need many other company’s who supply them to work nights, such as a load of gravel, concrete, steel, etc etc etc. This would add to the cost of the project maybe not a bad thing because it would be done quicker but the politicians involved made the decision on cost.
Some of you here love to blame the unions for everything in this city (you know who you are) but good paying jobs is what builds communities. I would hate to see this city without those jobs. Everyone’s wages would drop, the housing values would drop, crime would go up and I hope the one’s complaining about unions would be first victims.
Yes I’m union not only for the wages but for safe working conditions because I want to go home to my family everyday in the same condition I entered my workplace at the start of my shift.
You can say we have laws for safety and I would agree but if know one is there to enforce than company’s will not follow because their only concern is to get their product out the door as cheap and quick as possible.
Well, Guido, it’s easy to defend unions when you have a high paying job, but you’re putting the cart before the horse. It’s not high paying union jobs that build communities, it’s just jobs that build communities. You think it’s better to have 1,000 high paying union jobs and 9,000 people unemployed instead of 10,000 people employed, which is what happens when companies see it makes them a lot less competitive to operate in this city. I think it’s ridiculous to think that just because the wages drop that the crime rate would go up. More people will have jobs, so the crime rate would go down.. You’re part of a special interest minority group that’s trying to make it difficult for the majority. I take your self-righteousness for misdirected arrogance.
Guido, I understand the need for a union but lets be real. Many of these unions have run roughshod over their employers and thus either bankrupted a few or driven them to go overseas.
My point was that the union collective agreement might not allow for nighttime work without premiums and thus increasing the cost of the project which in the need would also increase the timeframe of the project to be completed.
Some of you obviously are to ignorant to understand the collective bargaining process but FYI both parties mutually come to an agreement on wages and benefits. The union does not hold a gun to the employers head. If company is going bankrupt it is more likely because of mismanagement. I still sense a lot of jealousy here.
I am not going to keep responding to this ideology of ingnorance this site is not the place for it.
here we go again mr david bad mouthing unions wow you are truly jealous of the good wages they make?I agree with guido WE NEED GOOD PAYING JOBS NOT THE Crappy $10 an hour jobs that david and me want in this city
You’re right, Guido, since two parties cannot mutually come to an agreement on wages and benefits in Windsor, companies with unions are leaving Windsor in droves. I heard that Honda announced a new non-union engine plant to be built in Alliston, ON, while we’re losing our engine plant in Windsor. I’m sure the Honda plant is paying a lot more than $10 an hour. Hmmm, I wonder what the unemployment rate is in Alliston, ON?
why dont you go work there david?honda pays $30 because the big three pay thier employess that again because of the union thats the only reason why honda pays 30 an hour. if you think that only union shops are leaving windsor then you live in a fantasy world david I know quite a few shops that are non union and have left windsor BECAUSE OF THE HIGH DOLLAR AND UNFAIR TRADE NOT UNIONS.If you hate the fact windsor is a union town pack your bags and leave david and dont let the door hit you on your way out.Honda by the way is probably the only employer who pays over 10 an hour in alliston and from what i have been told most of the honda employees dont even live in alliston they live in toronto.I had a honda employee tell me that yes they dont want the union in there but they know because of the “evil caw” thats why they make $30 AN HOUR working on the line.
I understand unions and management quite well. The fact remains if you own your own business and the union wants the money either they go on strike, which affects your business and can make you bankrupt, get scab labour, or move.
The problem here Guido is that you are on the exteme side of the spectrum and David is on the other side. You both make good arguments but must meet somewhere in the middle.
Let’s be honest here in Windsor the unions have had a free hand for far too long and now those chickens have come home to roost. I also agree that management has screwed up as well but the union militancy, perceived or not, has given this city a black eye that will take generations to overcome.
paul, please explain this unfair trade (barring China of course). If you are talking about Japan, the reasons our cars don’t sell there are 1) too big and too hard on gas for that country. 2) a perceived notion of poor quality. In the latter that is another reason why Japanese vehicles are kicking the Big 3’s butt. What have they done to prevent this illusion from taking over? Nothing.
ok me havent you heard of the recalls that toyota has had especially with the tundra?the big three have vastly improved thier quality since the 80s while toyota still very good but has dropped slighlty?and yes me i mean japan I can tell you have never worked in a auto plant and dont seem to care that thousands of people are losing thier jobs because of the jap cars(unfair trade)some places that are poorly run do need the union some dont but that is not the overall reason why companies are leaving.free trade is causing these companies including the big three to close shops in windsor and across canada because they know that countries like china and mexico people there are willing to do the work for 1.00 an hour.toyota and honda also have plants in these countries too.toyota has publicly said they cant see any more investment coming to canada because of the government is too slow to act on auto investment .there is also a rumor that toyotas second woodstock plant has been cancelled due to the high costs in this country.
I also heard that alot of plants in cambridge where the almighty toyota having been closing up as well thier mayor has publicly complained that the government needs to step in and do something to protect manfacturing jobs.
guido writes
I want to go home to my family everyday in the same condition I entered my workplace at the start of my shift.
You can say we have laws for safety and I would agree but if know one is there to enforce than company’s will not follow because their only concern is to get their product out the door as cheap and quick as possible.
you are sooo right about that. in non union shops they dont care about your safety I know first hand I worked in a non union shop recently the whole place was a health hazzard.but according to most people including those on this site unions are “evil” and they arent needed in todays society and hurt investment wow people in todays society are pretty stupid if they agree unions are evil.
Paul, I am in auto plants every single day, I know how they run quite well. I agree that some Japanese manufacturers have had quality issues as of late. I also know that the Big 3 have also imprived theirs greatly. But you still have not put forth any information that the Japanese are not practicing fair trade.
The Japanese have invested here heavily while the Big 3 have scaled back. Sure the Japanese are also lamenting a high dollar, something our gov’t has little control over but the fact remains, the Big 3 are requiring massive amounts of tax payers dollars while the Japanese do not need nearly as much, or in some cases none at all.
As for Free Trade, I agree with you. I agree that Free Trade has been good for Canada in dealing with the USA but ever since we had NAFTA (which includes Mexico) we have lost manufacturing to third world nations.
Paul, what you’re say doesn’t make any sense. If the whole non-union shop was a health hazaard, you should have reported them to the Ontario Labour Board or your health and safety committee. Since January 1991, the Occuptional Health and Safety Act requires by law that all workplaces with 20 or more workers must set up a joint occupational health and safety committee. UNION OR NOT. As you have more workers, more employees have to be members. If there are more than 5 employees and less than 20, the employees must choose one of their own representatives. The members must attend a one-week training course approved by the ministry at the employer’s expense. Employers require an implementation program in support of health and safety policies. These members must review and report on the safety of the work areas at the employer’s expense.. http://www.labour.gov.on.ca Even new employees have to watch a half hour view on health and safety and they know that the legislation exists. Did you not see that video? I did because it was required by law to see it. If employers have an unsafe workplace and it’s reported, the ministry will send down an inspector to make sure the employer fixes the problem just like the Fire Department will send down a fire marshall if the employer isn’t following fire safety procedures and regularly inspecting and testing fire equipment or has fire hazaards such as unprotected electrical wires sticking out of the walls and ceilings.
SAFETY MUST BE ENFORCED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER UNIONS EXIST IN THE WORKPLACE.
If employers fire employees over reporting them to the Ministry, then the employers can get sued big time for wrongful dismissal. And, reporting is also anonymous.
To say there is no safety in a non-union workplace is very naive and ignorant, Paul.
Here, the Ministry of Labour fined a Windsor company, Great Tents and Events, in January 2008, $50,000 plus a 25% surcharge for not following safety in the workplace such as failing to put up a safety guardrail. It wasn’t the unions that imposed safety in the workplace, so as far as safety is concerned, unions are an unnecesarry and excessive expense to employers: http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2008/01/07/c6967.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html