Going back to work

Members of the CMG voted over 88 per cent in favour of ratification of the deal struck by the union and CBC management two Sundays ago. So it's back to work starting tomorrow.

I can't help but wonder how the TBC will feel inside. I'm not just talking about the political environment or working culture, but the inside of the building itself.

You know how when you were a kid and your family went on a road trip for a few weeks during the summer? Or whatever you did that took you away for an extended period of time. Well, remember the return home? Wasn't it strange? The wall colours seemed a little off, your furniture seemed arranged as though part of a stage set, and the air smelled weird. Everything was recognizable, and yet oddly unfamiliar.

Perhaps I'm more likely to experience something like the above, because I wasn't walking the line. For the folks who were on the picket line, I can only imagine what the return to work will feel like. Very strange. Being locked out of a place so vital and central to your existence is, well, just plain unnatural. There are very few, if any, experiences in life to prepare someone for such a thing. Naturally people pictured their desks and wondered what was going on inside.

Now, finally, the time to return has arrived.

To those going back in this week, I hope you find a way to feel at home again. It may take a while. This time, the weird smell won't just be from unfamiliar air, but from the strained and tattered relationships.

So, open some figurative windows and let in some fresh air.