Talks between SEPTA and TWU Local 234 shutdown tonight in Philadelphia. TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown wants, on behalf of the union he represents, a guaranteed 4% annual raise and a 25% rise in their yearly pension contribution from SEPTA.Now, admittedly, this blog has had a VERY anti-TWU 234 opinion. I think you can understand why, as a rider, Philadelphia Sports Fan, worker bee, etc... I'm pretty mad. So, with that said, I am going to try and be fair and point out the sheer facts.
So, here we go:
What TWU 234 wants:
A 4% Annual Raise for their 4-year contract
Health Care contributions from employees to remain at 1%
Increase of pension contributions from $75 to $100 a year
Source
What SEPTA wants:
No raise for the first 2 years, and a 2% raise
Health Care contributions from employees to rise to 4%
Freeze the current pension contribution level
Source
What Do SEPTA Employees Make:
Bus, Subway, and Trolly Workers - $14.54 to $24.24 an hour ($30k - $50k a year)
Mechanics - $14.40 to $27.59 an hour ($30k - $57k a year)
Cashier - $50k a year, plus annual raises
Source
-Cashier Source
Now, let's talk about how SEPTA is wasting money, and how this effects you. SEPTA is one of the very few, if not only, mass transit systems that insists on gender ID stickers. They don't work, they act as a form of discrimination, and more importantly, ITS A WASTE OF MONEY.
One thing we always do in these situations as well is blame the workers. If I had a nickle every time I saw someone post "Fire them all and start from scratch", I would by a CD. Right now, the problem is that Brown waited 7 months to actually talk to management, and in turn waited until now to authorize a strike vote.
Let's also deal with this fact: $30 to $50k.... it isn't a bad deal if you don't have a big family. If its just you and a loved-one (who works), you're fine. Throw in a kid, and $50k is good. Myself? I don't make as much as a Bus Driver, and I know a lot of people with degrees and who work their fingers to the bone who don't, either. In the eyes of the working class, its a decent sale, and with a city with an unemployment rate of 10.7%, it looks really nice right now. Throw in a pension fund and a low health care fee, and you have a great job benefit deal with a decent pay rate.
TWU 234 leadership has been taking out ads, calling their strike a "call for the common man". To a degree, their right. With banks getting bailouts, benefits and pay being cut for most workers, who wouldn't want a Working Class Joe to strike back and get a decent days pay from an agency that's big, bloated, and hogs the cash? If you read the last paragraph, I think we know why.
My Predictions
What's my predictions? Right now, Nutter has stated that there will be increased police presence in Philadelphia, especially around the South Philly complexes, and he is already called for people to stay cool. The Phillies have plans just in case, although they haven't been disclosed yet.
IF SEPTA workers strike, it won't last past Sunday. I already see fist-fights breaking out between fans and picketing union members, and the union leadership buckling because of tone simple fact: Their demands are somewhat just and fair (a raise makes sense, but not 4% annually), and the cost for the rider will be tough. The base fair in Philadelphia is $2, one of the highest in the nation. If it goes up, riders will not be happy and ridership will decrease even more.
And one last note: There are very, very, VERY few people who are supporting the union at this time. A strike, especially this weekend, will not help them in any popularity contest.
Photo courtesy.
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