Phily Transit Strike

Stylerod · 11-04-2009, 07:59 AM

Bus and subway drivers in Philadelphia said that until their union gets what it wants, they'll continue a strike that left more than 900,000 riders scrambling to get to work Tuesday.

"Everybody is saying because times are tough and the economy is bad, the union should roll over and take something that is not acceptable," said Bob Wolper, spokesman for the Transport Workers Union Local 234. "The union's job is not to join the race to the bottom."

After celebrating the Phillies' win over the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night, Philadelphians woke up to a nasty surprise: The city's two subway lines were gated shut. All its buses and trolleys were off the streets. As 5,000 transit workers stayed home, others couldn't go to work.

Robert Washington of West Philadelphia, who rode his bike to his job downtown, said the transit workers "have a lot of nerve to ask for more money in this economy."

"There are people who don't have jobs who would love to have one of their jobs," he said. "It's arrogant."

The strike at the sixth-largest transit system in the USA was called at 3 a.m. after negotiations broke down around midnight. Wolper said union leaders stuck to a promise not to disrupt the World Series in Philadelphia.

Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said he was stunned that the union walked out on a deal that included an 11.5% pay increase over five years. He called the offer from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) "sensational."

SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said that besides the pay raise, the authority offered a $1,250 signing bonus; no increase in health-benefit contributions, which average $40 a month; and an 11.3% increase in pension distributions. There was also discussion of raising pension contributions from 2% to 3%, she said. The average SEPTA worker earns $52,000 a year, and the contract has a no-layoff clause, she said.

Wolper said the sticking points were the company demanding higher pension contributions and the union wanting to expand a policy that allows all workers with seniority to pick their work assignments, which the company would not agree to.

Philadelphia strike slams commuters - USATODAY.com

Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? They got increased everything and the strike because they want to pick their own work assignments?

The guy in the article has it right, they have a lot of nerve going on strike after being offered more money and signing bonuses. People who are struggling now have to struggle more to find a way to work. I wish the city would just fire them all, I'm sure there are plenty of people out of work that would love those jobs.

The Esteemed Gentleman · 11-04-2009, 09:39 AM

It's kind of like the public employee unions here in MA; the governor (a Democrat) has cut billions from the state budget because of revenue shortfalls, including laying off thousands of non-union employees. Finally, last week he had no choice but to try and force the unions to take furloughs or be laid off.

You'd have thought he'd asked them to murder puppies.

My girlfriend's teachers' union is the same way. Her town school committee was able to save every single teacher job in the city so long as the teachers agreed to a wage freeze this year and possibly next, with the scheduled increases to be rephased-in once the economy rebounds. Initially they refused. Their reasoning included that they felt the town wasn't being square with them about the town's revenue levels and finances.

Apparently, they hadn't read the newspapers in months. If they had, they'd have known about the recession.

There was a time where unions served a very real and important purpose: the protection of jobs and workers' rights. Sometimes, that purpose is still served. But a majority of the time, unions today are nothing but obstructionist narcissists with a "hooray for us and f--k you" attitude.

Dispatcher · 11-05-2009, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by The Esteemed Gentleman

It's kind of like the public employee unions here in MA; the governor (a Democrat) has cut billions from the state budget because of revenue shortfalls, including laying off thousands of non-union employees. Finally, last week he had no choice but to try and force the unions to take furloughs or be laid off.

You'd have thought he'd asked them to murder puppies.

My girlfriend's teachers' union is the same way. Her town school committee was able to save every single teacher job in the city so long as the teachers agreed to a wage freeze this year and possibly next, with the scheduled increases to be rephased-in once the economy rebounds. Initially they refused. Their reasoning included that they felt the town wasn't being square with them about the town's revenue levels and finances.

Apparently, they hadn't read the newspapers in months. If they had, they'd have known about the recession.

There was a time where unions served a very real and important purpose: the protection of jobs and workers' rights. Sometimes, that purpose is still served. But a majority of the time, unions today are nothing but obstructionist narcissists with a "hooray for us and f--k you" attitude.

I am pro labor, but unfortunately you are right. Back in the 80's, in the town where I used to live, there was a Dresser Wayne factory with good union jobs. The union went on strike so many times that the company closed the plant, and it never reopened.