Lessons From the SEPTA Strike

With the strike finally over, I think its safe to saw we've all learned a lot from it.

1. SEPTA workers have the ability to go on strike, despite the fact that they provide a public service. We need a law passed that treats them just as we do with other public service jobs that risk lives such as cops and fire: Binding arbitration.

2. The City Unions have gone without a contract since June 30th, and are now looking at this current dispute and Nutter's involvement and are getting some ideas.

3. We've all learned that we can, to some degree, live without SEPTA buses and subways.

4. A lot of people got a lot of extra exercise due to the strike and walked, biked, and even skateboarded to get to where they had to go.

5. If you're going to go to a protest as a supporter, bring friends. SHEESH!



So what will we actually learn? Well, there are countless lessons in life to learn from, but to actually retain that knowledge and apply it is rare and harder to do.

Hopefully we will learn that the best way to settle a problem is head on. As I wrote a few months ago in my review of "I Kill Giants", I talked about how our "giants" are the problems we avoid. The longer we wait, the worse they get. To that end, the City Union's have been without a contract for over 4 months. If we simply ignore it, its not going to go away. The best thing to happen is for the president of that union to try and talk to Nutter, and vice-versa.

So what's the solution to TWU 234 and the SEPTA strike threat? Pass a law, as soon as possible, making it illegal for them to strike and forcing them into binding arbitration. Again, its based on the fact that they provide an essential city service. They are responsible for transporting over half a million people on a daily basis and provide transport to our jobs, doctors, and hospitals. We can go a while without trash pickup, but not without public transit.

We've all learned new ways of getting around during the strike. In some cases it meant walking through parts of the city we never wanted to and learning something new about the areas we live in, and for others it was that regional rail may be better to use than a bus and subway. We've learned that riding a bike has certain rules and that with more on the road everyone seemed to get a little more considerate.

Will we all learn our lessons? Only time will tell.

SEPTA STRIKE OVER!

The SEPTA Strike is finally over.

All buses, subways, and trolleys are back on. All passes bought last week will be good until Noon today.

The question on the mind of riders: Will our fares go up? No. The current contract fits within their budget so fares shouldn't go up thanks to this deal.

More details will be posted as they become available.

SEPTA STRIKE Day 6: No End in Sight

There is no deal.

Governor Ed Rendell has left town and with him he takes nearly $7 Million dollars in funding to help the union get what it wants. The union got increasingly angry at SEPTA for rewriting the deal. At last check, TWU 234 wanted an independent audit of their pension and SEPTA wanted language in the contract so they could possibly work on health benefits if (or when) the public option is passed.

TWU 234 President "Little" Willie Brown stated during a press conference that any talk of an agreement "was a lie." No new talks are scheduled.

The 2005 SEPTA strike lasted 7 days. A 1998 SEPTA strike lasted 40 days.

Willie Brown, this one goes out to you:



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Today a protest was scheduled at 1234 Market Street for 1PM in front of SEPTA headquarters by someone on Twitter called simply "strikeprotest". I arrived at 12:45PM and saw one protester named Till Ayala, who had actually lost a job due to this strike. When I arrived, there were a bunch of cameras and reporters, far outnumbering the protestor. I arrived carrying a sign that read, "I'm not Anti-Union, I'm Anti-Willie Brown." I spoke to reporters and was asked if I was the organizer and replied, "No, but I saw this on Twitter and wanted to put my money where my mouth is."

Shortly after most of the media left, 3 people came over to support us and hold balloons with slogans to help the cause of the protest: To show that the people of the city were being hurt most by this strike.

SEPTA Union Leader meet with Leaders

UPDATE: Talks resulted in "Little" Willie Brown didn't like the offer given to him by the state, which was said to be a lot like the offer given to him by SEPTA before he walked out and called a strike in the first place. It is worth noting that the offer has been said to be the best one for him.

Meanwhile, Mayor Nutter's administration is taking a step not taken in any strike of SEPTA workers in recent memory: Filling an injunction to get SEPTA workers back to work.

"The City Solicitor, the Law Department, all of our public safety areas and public health areas, have been monitoring the impact of the strike from not just an inconvenience standpoint, but a true impact on people trying to get to their doctor or their hospital."

On a personal level, this is incredibly true. I had to cancel two different doctor appointments due to the strike and put off, yet again, a visit for vital care I needed. If I had to go to the ER from my house, I couldn't take a bus (assuming it wasn't bad enough), I would have to call an ambulance, which costs over $1000.

I would like to add that I would love to see Mayor Nutter try and push a bill through City Council forcing the union into arbitration in the future so this never happens again.

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Don't call it the end yet.

"Little" Willie Brown, president of TWU 234, met with Governor Ed Rendell and Rep. Bob Brady on Thursday night.

The agreement , as it stands, is going to hurt commuters and those who rely on SEPTA. The talks are going more and more in the favor of the union members, despite them walking away from the table and causing the over 500,000 people who use the system on a daily basis to have increased difficulty getting around. As it stands, the union will still get a 11.5% raise, but other details, including their pension contributions going up or their health care costs staying the same (1%) have not yet been revealed.

The main talk among the news media right now is that this could be the end of the strike itself, but I am caustically optimistic.

At this point, the union doesn't deserve anything close to the deal that was offered to them that they went to strike over. The deal they got was as good as possible during a recession, and walking away from it was an insult, not only to the parties involved, but to everyone who needs and relies on the system to get around.

Will their deal cost you in the end? Don't be surprised if it does.

"Little" Willie Brown Explains Why He Rejected the Deal, Discusses Strike

At 11:30AM today, "Little" Willie Brown had his first press conference since calling a strike at 12:01AM on Tuesday morning. Here is the un-edited video:



Here are the headlines:

1. He walked out of the deal because of the pension. He complained that while employees only get 50% put into their pension while SEPTA management get's 90% put in.

2. He thinks Mayor Nutter, or he calls him "Little Ceaser", shouldn't be involved in talks since he's trying to keep the compromise low, and refuses to talk with him at the table.


The deal they were given was reviewed and commented on by labor experts and the verdict was unanimous: It was a pretty decent deal.

The compromise was, in the end, a good one: The workers still received a raise over 5 years of 11.5%, they did get more put into their pension (although they would have to put more into it themselves as well), and their health care contribution would remain at only 1%. Considering SEPTA wanted to raise their health care costs to 4% alone... it was a major victory in the end with all things considered.

To Willie's credit, I get the part about the pensions.... somewhat.

There's a few problems. For starters, the fact that there is a pension is amazing. How many places actually still have one, save the government? Its safe to say that paying into your own retirement makes sense and is fair, and paying 50%, to me, is a little tough but fair. The fact that SEPTA management get's 90% is crazy, and the smartest thing to do would be to accept the contract on the condition that management decreased what they got put into their own accounts. Maybe that was the case. If it was, he would have been idiotic to not mention it.

Word is that SEPTA and the unions and Ed Rendel could meet Thursday to discuss the contract. Rendell had stated Monday that if they didn't meet by Thursday he would not give SEPTA an extra $6 Million to help pay for the deal the union was given.

There is something important to consider: the funding for SEPTA is NOT set in stone.

The budget for SEPTA over the next few years depends on state funding, which in and of itself has always been iffy, but also on putting tolls on I-80. If the federal government doesn't allow us to put tolls on I-80, SEPTA will be further in the hole than before, and any and all raises and benefits won will fall on you and me, the average SEPTA rider.

As I've stated before, I do believe SEPTA management is partly to blame for what we're seeing happen with this agency. The company is horribly mismanaged and has never in its history turned a profit. Improvements to the system have been slow, with everything from basic station improvements to a updated fare system being held back.

At the same time, its hard to say that long term improvements are the fault of management. Its the same story as always: If you're spending a ton on your employees and day-to-day operating costs, how can you afford to do things to improve you company?

SEPTA spokesperson Jerri Williams spoke to NBC10 about the strike as well:



SEPTA is willing to talk and get this taken care of. Will "Little" Willie Brown be willing to do the same?

KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - Gov. Rendell On SEPTA Strike

Ed Rendell went on KYW Newsradio 1060, and he outlined a TON of stuff. This includes the fact that the union didn't vote on this, or how they refused a sweetheart deal.

KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - Gov. Rendell On SEPTA Strike

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An Open Letter To TWU 234 Leader Willie Brown

Dear Willie Brown,

Hey. How are you?

I don't know if you read blogs or not, or if you consider the opinions of others a waste of time. By your reaction over the past 2 weeks, I'm inclined to think its the later. In case you didn't know, I've been writing a lot about you and your leadership and the way you handled the current SEPTA negotiations.

You have taken out ads saying that you're looking out for the "working man", that what you want is a "civil rights issue". You know what? I actually agree with you. I don't want to pay anything for my health insurance cost, I want my company to give me more money for my pension, and holy hell, a 19% raise GUARANTEED over 4 years?! Throw in a no lay-off clause, and I think its safe to say I'm set for life! That's the type of deal anyone working for a company these days would kill for, the type of deal I know countless people would want.

Sadly, I live in the world where you can't always get what you want. I live in a world where health care costs are rising so much that in order to keep health care services, not only did they need to raise our contribution, but they also raised our co-pays. The pension is the same, which is fine by me, but raises? Well, I can't say much about myself, but I know a lot of people who didn't get one this year because everyone is hurting this year. I even know people who got laid-off and outright fired by sneaky means by their companies.

Willie, you want the best for your members, and that's admirable and understandable. The fact that you are willing to risk not only your wages and money, but those of all your members to get what you want, the fact that you may actually be risking your jobs because they could simply fire you all (or at least quite a few) for not working... wow.

But I can't agree with your methods at all.

You've been working without a contract for 7 months, since March in fact. You talked with management until your contract expired, but I can only assume that you decided not to authorize a call for a strike because there is no way your workers could survive without a paycheck. So you waited and waited. You didn't talk to management at all, you just kept working. Over time, you spent money, union money, on newspaper ads and television ads, where you talked about how SEPTA wasn't willing to give you everything you wanted. You said that because they saw an increase in ridership, they should be able to give you more. Since March, they've been losing ridership and money.

So you waited and waited until the last week of October, conveniently enough, the weekend before the World Series, a Eagles vs Giants game, a sold-out concert, and more. You waited until you had the city by the balls and could squeeze as hard as possible to get what you wanted for your union. Then you threatened to walk out right as the games started. Then you agreed to talk past the deadline and not strike.

Now you, Willie Brown, the man who wants to look out for the "common man", the man who wants to make sure "civil rights" are respected... Now YOU have shown you don't care about any of that.

You went on strike at 12:01 AM without any warning of it, stranding thousands of commuters and leaving us to scramble at the last minute! You left the table when you were offered a 11% raise over 5 years, an 11% pension increase, and NO RISE in your health care benefits! YOU! YOU JERK! YOU GREEDY LITTLE PIG! YOU walked away from a compromise. YOU have decided it would no be in the interest of "the working man" to take the deal and STRIKE.

Willie Brown, you don't care about the working man. You don't care about us. All you care about is getting what you want and you don't care how. If union dues rise in turn, I wouldn't be surprised by that, either.

You've taken any chance, ANY CHANCE, of the common working man supporting your union and your cause away with your dirty tactics and the fact that you STRANDED THOUSANDS OF WORKERS AND PEOPLE!!!! You want our support? You lost it!

Right now, I hope YOU get fired. Not the members, but the ENTIRE TWU Local 234 leadership!

Willie, that's how I feel, and trust me, I'm one of the nicer ones.

SEPTA ON STRIKE!

In a shocking turn of even, TWU Local 234 is now ON STRIKE.

Despite a call not to strike at all, especially not during the World Series, Willie Brown WALKED OUT OF THE TALKS! In turn, workers walked off the job and took to the picket lines. The walkout happened at 12:01AM this morning, and will effect all Bus, Subway, and Trolly service in Philadelphia. Regional Rail is not effected. The strike will be effective as of 3AM.

The talks fell apart over the pension and pay.

The silver lining? The walk out waited until AFTER the World Series, so everyone at the game should be able to get home safely. On top of that, while the loss of SEPTA will be a problem, it will not be the horrible doomsday scenario we would have seen this weekend.

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It is worth noting that TWU 234 has also purchased more air time to support their cause as they complain about SEPTA not giving them more money.

SEPTA: No Strike, But That's Not the End of the Story

There will be no SEPTA strike this year, so the doomsday scenario we all worried about will not come to pass. This is thanks to Governor Ed Rendell ordering Willie Brown, President of TWU 234, to keep services running during the talks.

But right now, things may be dire for riders as the first bit of news from the contract talks come out:

Health-care issues had been resolved, and the sides were reported to be close to an agreement on wages as talks ended for the day at 10:15 p.m. at the Bellevue. The two sides were to reconvene at 6 p.m. today.

As he was leaving the Bellevue, Willie Brown, the new president of Transport Workers Union Local 234, said members would not see an increase in their contributions to the cost of health insurance. Members currently contribute 1 percent of their base pay toward coverage.

Considering the fact SEPTA wanted them to pay 4%, this can't be good for riders unless funding is coming from the state to cover this. At this point, this isn't a compromise, its giving into the demand of the union.

Again, Brown has allowed his members to work for 7 MONTHS without a contract before striking, and the average SEPTA bus driver makes $50k+ after 4 years of service with guaranteed raises every year.

The next hurdle now is pay raises, and this is what we're looking at: SEPTA is offering a 9% pay raise over 4 years, while TWU Local 234 wants 19%.

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I've been writing a lot about this over the last week, and its largely because this is a systematic problem that has plagued this city for YEARS! Its nothing short of insane that, nearly every few years, we have the leadership of TWU 234 demanding more and more from a company that has NEVER turned a profit. Its irritating that they hold nearly 80,000 people who rely on the system on a daily basis hostage while making insane demands that can't be covered due to funding issues from both riders (ridership has gone down since gas prices got cheap again) and the state (funding for SEPTA right now depends on the I-80 toll being approved).

SEPTA is an agency on the ropes, and has been for a long time. In 2007 they warned that they would have to cut and eliminate services if they didn't get the funding they needed, and in the end they did get their funding, but raised fairs for Regional Rail riders.

TWU 234's contract expired in March and they didn't strike. It was the first time in a long time that we saw this happen, and I actually gained some new respect for the union at the same time. In my eyes, they realized two things: Going on strike would not help their reputation, and it would hurt their members since they wouldn't get paid during a strike. Considering the economy the way it is, it was a smart move.

In the end, both sides are to blame for holding economic guns to the heads of the people who work for and those who rely on SEPTA.

SEPTA and TWU 234: No Deal, And Still No Sttike

UPDATE: SEPTA and TWU 234 went past the midnight deadline and continued talking through the night. No strike has been called by Willie Brown, the President of the TWU 234. Talks will continue until 6PM tonight, but a strike can be called at any time.

So, my opinion?

I think its safe to say the call for a strike was, more or less, a bluff, which makes perfect sense considering the fact that Willie Brown has a history of, well, being a fucking drama queen. Did you pick up a copy of this weekend's Philadelphia Metro? There's a giant PAID ad on the back of the newspaper where they try to convince the public that "we don't want to strike, but we have to." Then you have the ad before it that was, in essence, race-baiting. The strike vote and and date set for the strike were all ploys in order to get what he wanted.

People like Willie Brown are smart, but in the end, their assholes. He may have read up on Sun Zsu, but he never read The 48 Laws of Power. Simply put, you never destroy your public reputation in order to get what you want.

At the same time, it goes back to the entire fact I brought up, namely that Philadelphia Sports Fans aren't exactly going to be happy. If a strike is called for during the World Series, or if it happens just as people are going to the stadiums, I can say, without a doubt, without a moment of hesitation, that there will be fighting and there will be blood as angry fans are met with closed gates and no buses. Neither side will want the blame.

It's worth pointing out that this is, in essence,t he only thing I've written about all week. Check out the older stories on this issue.

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It's 12:34AM and the Union is still talking with SEPTA with a State mediator. No indicator talks have stopped, none of a strike as well. Some progress is being made.

It's 11:00PM: SEPTA Strike 2009 Looks Likely

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.

The SEPTA Strike and Philly Sports: This Could Get Ugly

TWU 234, you have a real public relations problem and here's why:

1. People feel you get paid too much and only want what you want out of greed.

2. You waited 7 months and until the World Series to strike, picking the busiest weekend possible.

3. You made your union members pay MORE IN DUES last year, which may be why they need more money.

4. You took out an ad that doubles as race-baiting against SEPTA because you weren't getting your way.

5. You have a provision in your contracts that allow your members who are hurt to become cashiers and get double-wages AND raises.

6. You want MORE money and MORE benefits during a time when everyone in America is cutting back and suffering.


Right now, here's the situation: TWU 234 goes on strike at 12:01AM tomorrow, this weekend is going to be fucked. "Messed-up" would be more polite, so would even "Screwed". But this... this is a situation where the word "fucked" is the only appropriate word, because it would be! This weekend, you have TWO World Series Games, the Eagles against the NY Giants, Pearl Jam, the Flyers, and if there's anything else, I must have forgotten. But ALL of that is happening this weekend!

So far, talks have been stalled with no progress from either side.

Now, during 99% of the time when people in Philadelphia aren't worried about a strike, we complain about how and why SEPTA sucks. How the service is slow, the workers rude (sometimes), the schedules off, the high fares, and countless other problems with nearly every aspect of the company. So why is it, when the strike looms and starts, we never take the side of the workers and of SEPTA?

Because while we may be mad and angry over the service, we know that this is partly due to the union in and of itself. One problem with SEPTA right now? The bus drivers and supervisors. On an average weekday, drivers may start out early but due to the GPS system in their bus they may have to slow down or stop in order not to get in trouble. On Sunday's, with no supervisors, buses tend to come and go as they please.

Who's to blame for this? I don't know. Maybe SEPTA for wanting accountability of their drivers, and maybe the union workers for not doing their job right and now facing these reprimands from management. I don't know.

Right now, this is about to get ugly.

I was speaking to a few people and we all have the same fear: A SEPTA strike is going to get ugly in the worst possible way. This is largely because of one fact both sides are ignoring one factor: The Philadelphia Sports Fan.

We are not easy people to deal with. We're fine and nice and polite most of the time, but when it comes to our sports, we don't screw around in this town! The riots when the Phillies won could be nothing compared to the reaction from fans unable to watch their hometown play in the World Series after paying over $300 to stand there. The anger of fans unable to see the Eagles play against the Giants.

Could people get so angry and upset over this that they would start actual fights against either side in order to get SEPTA union members back to work? Could we see crowds of people lining up at Broad Street Subway stations demanding to be let on despite a fight, starting riots? Could we see full-scale riots due to a strike? Yankees fans and Giants fans coming down from New York City, pissed that they can't make it to the stadium because of no public transit, mixed with Phillies and Eagles fans?

Sunday, bloody Sunday, it could be.

Personally, I hope this stays as civil as possible between everyone: The union, management... and all the fans. I doubt there would be actual fights, but I don't dismiss it. Try to stay cool, and hey, everyone could just walk down to the stadium and enjoy the game on radios and cheer and boo outside the stadium. A good time to be had by all!

SEPTA, TWU 234? Get your shit together, get to the bargaining table, AND WORK THIS OUT! NOW!

Photo courtesy of Brownstoner.

The Problem With TWU 234 and Unions: A Response to a Comment

It's rare that I respond to a comment in general, and this is the first time I've dedicated an entire entry to a response.

I saw this comment, and I honestly think it warrants a full response from me:

Hmmmm I spent most of my adult life avoiding working for a Union. Most of my family are in Unions, including TWU 234.

But I have a family and child with medical needs that had me chasing good Medical Benefits and pay all my adult "working" life!

I have had to pay up to $1300.00 a month for family coverage. And when I would get a raise, it would be dissolved into higher Medical Coverage costs! EVERY YEAR!

I had to work longer hours and spend less time at home. I would have to suffer no pay days off just to see the kid's school play. I would sell my vacation back to my work to afford Christmas.

So I have managed up to 30 associates and held a good Management position while doing all this.

Then after years of growing business and expanding the work as well as the companies profit. I was laid off.

That's when I understood Unions and their purpose.

It is not greed my friend. It is protecting your work and fighting for fair wages and benefits.

Last year I would have stood 100% behind you on this. But after what I have been through in the last 15 years. I was forced to face a question.

This question was where can I work that will give me affordable Medical Coverage for my child and wife, while make enough money to keep ahead of the quick rising cost of living while using my non-college educated experience in customer service?

Then I was faced with a tougher question. Who will hire me in 2009 while the economy takes a dive and companies are laying off all over?

SEPTA was the "ONLY" company that called me back. I had a CDL already so it was set to happen.

I once was on the out side. Now I am on the inside. But it was the outside that convinced me.

Ask not what is wrong with Unions/SEPTA/TWU 234. But ask why is it that in 2009, that people are fighting for just the cost of living increases? You have a few facts wrong, and so does the article you linked. That's why it is getting shredded as we speak.

You have every right to your opinion. But that's what should be noted. It is your opinion. Not facts, nor from what I see, you have no idea what it is like as a father and husband trying to give his family the best life he can give them.

I hope the Phillies win. And I get the deserved terms that I work my ass off for. You should get what you work for right?

gfunkerror: By no means am I trying to be anti-union, and I am sorry if my response came off as such. More than anything, and I think you understand, I'm not Anti-Union: I'm anti-TWU 234.

The leadership of TWU 234 is crooked, plain and simple. They have allowed the workers they are designated to protect to work without a contract without striking since March. Its been over 7 months. Within that time, neither side has made an effort to actually meet at the bargaining table, and SEPTA ran as usual without any strikes. All the while, the leadership of TWU 234 spent money on ads they took out in local newspapers and on Television complaining about how SEPTA isn't meeting their demands for more money.

The idea of a union is to protect its workers and demand fair treatment. The problem, though, is that the demands of the leadership of the union are unreasonable to most people. They originally went on strike in 2005 because they didn't want to contribute ANYTHING to their health care, and now they pay a simple 1%. With health care costs rising and co-pays with them, this is now the second biggest issue and here's why:

The union does not want to increase its health-care contributions, but does want to increase its pension benefit to $100, up from $75, for every year of service. The union also wants to remove the cap for those earning more than $50,000 a year, so that their benefits are commensurate with their salaries.

In essence, they want more for less. I've seen numbers saying that SEPTA wanted a measly 4% from them of health care costs and offered them a yearly raise, although I agree that it's not enough at only 2% during the 2nd and 3rd years.

Also, lets go back to the fact that last week was the first time SEPTA and TWU 234 sat down to actually TALK about this since MARCH. Seven MONTHS. Why, why, WHY did it take 7 months for TWU 234 to agree to sit down with management? Why did they, instead of sitting down in April and working out a fair and honest deal as soon as possible they benefit both sides, did they wait until AFTER the Phillies were in the World Series? Why did they wait to vote on a strike until AFTER the Phillies were going to play in the World Series? Why did they wait until the first DAY of the series in Philadelphia to actually go on strike?

Greed, for lack of a better word.

The leadership of TWU 234 doesn't care about their workers or protecting their rights. Instead of working over the last 7 months to get a deal, they now are holding SEPTA to the wall and holding the city hostage to get what they want. These thugs are holding economic guns to their heads and want their demands met.

A strike will hurt this city. Traffic will be a nightmare, the city could lose millions in revenue it would have gained from the playoffs, and they're forcing their agenda on SEPTA and the riders. If the cost of riding one of the most expensive public transit systems in America goes up AGAIN, the union will lose more public support! In fact, that's the biggest problem TWU 234 faces: Public opinion. In the eyes of many in Philadelphia, TWU 234 leaders are, as I've said, simply thugs hellbent of take as much as possible from taxpayers and riders for their own gain while their workers still struggle.

The fact that they decided to wait until NOW to strike doesn't help, and the public is far from the side of the workers.

No one is disputing that they deserve fair wages, but there are problems with the system, most notably the fact that SEPTA cashiers are pulling in duel-incomes of $55k a year with a 4% raise each year. SEPTA needs to eliminate the practice of letting people do that instead of getting disability, and TWU 234 needs to agree that this needs to stop.

Am I anti-union? No. I've actually considered joining a freelancers union myself because they offer benefits and protections you don't have as an independent worker. At the same time, they also offer various problems and restrictions. It used to be for a long time that you couldn't get certain jobs unless you were a member of a union, and that has changed greatly over the years. Will unions come back? I hope so to a large degree, but only if we start asking questions about how they are run, who runs them, and if they actually help the workers or hurt them.

TWU 234: What Happened?!

The leadership of TWU 234 have decided to not only get greedier, but also meaner.

Last year at this time, the entire city of Philadelphia was, for the first time in my life, filled with true meaning of brotherly love. Peace throughout the city as we all united as one to support the Philadelphia Phillies who, for the first time in over 25 years, were posed to win the World Series, giving the city its first major championship in decades. I knew then that if it happened again, it wouldn't be the same, but I was still sure we would all get along and enjoy the ride.

TWU 234 doesn't see it that way. They want to go on strike right before the World Series starts in Philadelphia and shut down the celebration.

To their credit, the leaders who have always been strike-happy, have worked without a contract since March. That's amazing, and I will give them credit for going on this long and still trying to handle this in a civil manner, trying all the while to get the public on their side. Sadly, they just blew it! BIG TIME!

Look, TWU 234, you want more money. Where? WHERE is it going to come from? The agency hasn't pulled a profit in a long time, and right now, everyone is hurting (except those bastards on Wall Street). Not only that, but you want a 6% wage increase and a higher-contribution to your pensions. Meanwhile, SEPTA is offering 3%. Take the 3%.

Not only that, but Philadelphia Weekly did some investigating, and its worth noting that TWU 234 doesn't seem to deserve that. Why?

Have you ever wondered how cashiers get their jobs in the subway system? Have you ever wondered how much they make to simply sit back there, walk around from time to time, and hand you a transfer? $55,000 A YEAR. The workers in the booths are disabled, and they earn their original salary as a bus driver, mechanic, or whatever, on top of their salary as a cashier!

So they want more money? Maybe their 250 cashiers need concede and let go of their cushy deal. Maybe TWU 234 should do more to eliminate waste on THEIR side as well before they start crying out that management has been unfair to them!