Philadelphia Transit Union Strike

What's the confusion, maporsche? You're scapegoating transit workers and unions because of the bad economy. You make them sound as if they're completely out of line asking for cost of living raises, for example. Ceili has been there and knows what it's like.

Yes, but the rate your going, whoever you deem worthy enough to make a certain income will, and those of us who don't should be paid less. Take this to the extreme... when does it end. Where are you getting 70,000 from? An annual increase of 4% over 52,000 is not 70,000. It would take quite a few years for that to happen don't you think?

No cost of living in 2009. Interesting? How do you come to that? There is always in increase, prices rarely go down, gas and electricity cost continues to rise. Do you live in a bubble? Are the citizens of the US immune to cost increases?

Yeah, but you could get them to change the music or end it completely.

Yes it does. Read it with an open mind. You do come on as much more intellegent than most of us.

That kind of proves his point, doesn't it? But, if you are really open to suggestion, consider that a recording telling us how important our call is, is something of a contradiction.

Yes, maporsche, this thread is now all about you.

I think they are completly out of line STRIKING for a raise right now.

I really hope the city calls them on it and fires all their asses.

and indeed a welcome change from hawkeye.

Well that will get the city somewhere eh! Fire their asses and spend a fortune going through the hiring process, training and so on...
Dumb.

I just said that I was surprised that they made so much money. I'd never pay them that much if I were their boss.

It is kind of all of our business though, since a lot of my tax dollars are going to help pay for those salaries (I think you said 50% of the money comes from government subsidies).

The 70k number is what I would suspect their total annual compenstation is, including their pension and healthcare benefits. I referred to that number earlier in the thread. I don't know what the real number is, but it's more than just their salary.

The no cost of living number came from our government when they announced that there would be no cost of living increase for social security members for 2010. There was no inflation this year, prices did not rise over last year. I didn't make this number up, or government did.

And with 25% unemployement and even more underemployment and basically zero pay increases for most all businesses worldwide, I think it's disgusting that these people would strike right now. Everyone's healthcare costs are going up, no one is getting any raises, millions cannot find work, everyone is worried about losing their jobs, and these assholes think they can strike.

I hope they get what they deserve...and it's not a 4% raise.

Less money in the long run I'm sure.

You'd be able to get rid of the union and hire people who want to work and would be happy about it. People who are, right now, collecting unemployement benefits. I'd rather give them a salary instead.

where do you think they're going to get trained, fully qualified bus drivers? they don't just hop into a bus the first day and start driving. If they fire them all, it would be at least a year before Philadelphia will be able to put buses back on the road (going by Toronto's basic training protocol).

Well on that note, I guess you've made the choice. When should we tell the city of brotherly love that you've made your well informed decision?
Let's get the list out...
No healthcare - check
No inflation - check
Not worthy of being paid better - check.
I'm sure when you become a nurse, paid with 100% tax payer money, the public dole... you will never strike, never ask for a raise, won't demand health care for you and yours. I'm never met a martyr before, I can check that one off my list.

Thats not true.
There are hundreds of qualified bus drivers that could do the job, and probably would.
But, they are driving trucks instead.

They drive trucks because getting a bus driving job, especially in the east coast cities, means either knowing someone or waiting months if not years to get hired.

That may be where nurses' salaries come from in Canada. . . .

You can't step into a bus driving job here, regardless of previous experience. That is why I noted "going by Toronto's basic training protocol".

We do not have a single payer healthcare system in the USA....many/most nurses work for private industry.

I would/will never strike if my job was just saved by the Federal government sending my state millions and millions of dollars that just saved my job, and I currently make more than 80% of the country, and my union was asking for the things that this union is asking for.

I also guarentee you that I will be trying to find a nursing job that is non-unionized.

I bet that he only demands $8 an hr. in order t keep down inflation.

You cannot just put anybody behind the wheel of the bus. Regardless of a sterling record or unbelievable skill, they must be trained - at least in Canada, before you can put someone on the road, for liability reasons. Not to mention, a bus and a truck are two very different beasts. There is also the customer service aspect... Being that we don't live in an era where a driver can beat the **** out of an asshole like they could do at one point, the public demand nice guys.
Given a normal city bus routinely carries up to 80 people, sitting or standing, on a bus, would you trust anyone to drive it? As you sit in a car, do you really want some nut behind the wheel playing bumper cars on the road?
Seriously, you people are insulting. I've investigated a ton of accidents, rarely were they caused by the bus drivers. Why, because they are professional in the way the deal with people and drive. If they aren't they are turfed. It costs 3 times as much to train people than it does just to have 'em work.

In addition, many of these fired union workers could and likely would love to be hired back on (w/o the union of course).

I didn't realize that.