Will there be a transit strike?

/\ Most of us get shnit. So stop whining.

Anyway, this would be a great time to really hammer the unions. That drives down costs and service goes up! Plus, more jobs for us dumb kids!

Any news on this? Last I heard (3 weeks ago) no progress had been made, and the unofficial Sept. 5 date was still in effect. I'll be pretty steamed if they start trolley service on the 15 on the 4th (while I'm out of town, returning on the 9th) only to shut down the system the following day.

So...what's the deal? And why nothing in the media? Does the TWU finally maybe realize that they have no sympathy from...well...anyone?

I doubt there will be a strike. I think they will take yet another extension. Ya gotta realize that if the union goes on strike, they lose their coveted benefits and prolly will never get 'em back with the new contract.

But we shall see.

But the question then becomes, will SEPTA offer/agree to another extension? They want to get out of the current benefits structure, and with every extension they come no closer to that goal.

KYW just started running a story saying that the Union is hinting of a strike, and Baloney saying how inappropriate a time this is for a strike. When does the current extention expire? The 5th?

It also said the union would give notice.....anyone know how much?

jfrey40535 wrote:KYW just started running a story saying that the Union is hinting of a strike, and Baloney saying how inappropriate a time this is for a strike. When does the current extention expire? The 5th?

It also said the union would give notice.....anyone know how much?

How about our high and mighty Mayor [C.Y.A.] Street, and Governor [and Eagles analyst on Comcast Sports Net, his REAL job] Rendell stepping in and get this damn thing settled.

If the TWU walks now, it would be the biggest public relations blunder the union ever made. It could even bring some sort of political/economic reprisal from our great money-grubbing GOP led State legislators. The strike could kill SEPTA as we know it, the legislature will certainly put something else in its place, and make it twice as worse than SEPTA when it concerns the workers. And they will do it with the blessing of the public in town.

Mdlbigcat wrote:
If the TWU walks now, it would be the biggest public relations blunder the union ever made. It could even bring some sort of political/economic reprisal from our great money-grubbing GOP led State legislators. The strike could kill SEPTA as we know it, the legislature will certainly put something else in its place, and make it twice as worse than SEPTA when it concerns the workers. And they will do it with the blessing of the public in town.

Not as long as they're still trying to run damage control on the pay raise; that effectively destroyed their credibility on just about anything, at least for the time being. Besides, would an end to SEPTA as we know it necessarily be bad? It would depend on the manner in which they changed it, i guess. If they demand accountability and some proof of progress, it might be an improvement, even.

Mdlbigcat wrote:If the TWU walks now, it would be the biggest public relations blunder the union ever made. It could even bring some sort of political/economic reprisal from our great money-grubbing GOP led State legislators. The strike could kill SEPTA as we know it, the legislature will certainly put something else in its place, and make it twice as worse than SEPTA when it concerns the workers. And they will do it with the blessing of the public in town.

While I agree that a strike would invite a broad backlash against the TWU, the legislature isn't going to do anything until Rendell's Transportation Funding and Reform Commission submits its final report, conveniently scheduled for after the 2006 election.

And I'm sure that there are those who see $3.49 a gallon gas as an ideal opportunity for a strike, to inflict maximum pain on the public in hopes they will urge their elected officials to accede to the union's demands.

Sounds like there is a agreement in the works which only needs to be ratified at this point.

Wow, really? I’m surprised to hear an agreement might be reached; I would have put money on a fall strike, but nothing is signed yet.

Like most people who are not either a tradesmen or white collar manager, I can care less about union / management strife’s, unless it affects me like a SEPTA strike would. But, I am very interested in the issues surrounding the labor agreement; I really will be anticipating hearing what was reached. Whenever I see labor arguments in any field, I usually see both side of the bargaining table as greedy bastards. In regards to the SEPTA problems, I actually understand and can agree with both sides points…

Article in Daily News today about another possible 'strike threat'.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/new ... 779604.htm

We've been hearing this for so long now its like crying wolf. The union is having a big meeting Sunday I can only wonder what's going to come out of it this time.

The rumor mill is working hard these days.....anyone hear anything about the RR union possibly walking too? Last I heard the conductors didn't have a contract either. I know they've already been through arbitration in Washington.

I've also heard SEPTA is now playing lets make a deal with TWU, like offering other cheaper insurance options....

It is funny that SEPTA isn't budging on the whole benefits issue. No one at 1234 pays for their health benefits either; and they don't have union representation. At any time SEPTA could drop the bomb on it's non union employees and make them pay the outrageous sums they are asking of the TWU. For an agency that is so 'cash strapped', they sure seem pretty generous to people who aren't even on the front lines. I find it laughable that Governor Ed and the state legislature doesn't feel so generous, given the public's (ie taxpayers) generosity for paying for their health care. I guess they are to busy voting themselves pay raises for doing such a good job. Heck, why not take another early Thanksgiving recess? Might as well make the entire year out of it given that nothing gets done in Harrisburg, at least not quickly. Although most of their constituents don't have those luxuries, its nice to know they have themselves to congratulate for a job well done.

whovian wrote:It is funny that SEPTA isn't budging on the whole benefits issue. No one at 1234 pays for their health benefits either; and they don't have union representation. At any time SEPTA could drop the bomb on it's non union employees and make them pay the outrageous somes they are asking of the TWU. For an agency that is so 'cash strapped', they sure seem pretty generous to people who aren't even on the front lines.

The benefits package for "A-payroll" (supervisory, administrative, & management) employees is tied to the TWU package. I agree it's something of a conflict of interest for SEPTA's labor relations personnel to be negotiating their own benefits.

While it would make it easier for SEPTA to make a case for concessions from the TWU on this issue if they imposed the cost-sharing on A-payroll immediately, it would be a bad idea in the long run. The rate the A-payroll employees pay would immediately be taken as a starting point for negotiations rather than an end point, so it would limit the savings SEPTA could obtain.

The sums being talked about are not "outrageous"--they are moderate by private-sector standards. As both the Inquirer and Daily News have editorialized, the status quo is no longer viable either from a budgetary standpoint or a political standpoint. When even the <u>Daily News</u> (ordinarily quite happy with class warfare) is on your opponents' side, that's saying something.

The immediate budget relief from a moderate cost-sharing plan would be about $20 million, more or less depending on the exact employee shares negotiated and the impact of cost-sharing on employee choices (when somebody else is paying the entire bill, you have little incentive to choose a lower-cost plan, and there is also the possibility that some employees will shift family coverage to a spouse's plan). That's not enough to balance the budget by itself--SEPTA and the other transit agencies in the state still need more funding, but it is a large enough number (and one that will grow in the future) that SEPTA can no longer ignore it.

The latter is why SEPTA has to have this for political reasons. Their credibility with the legislature is in tatters, and they must show meaningful efforts at addressing their structural problems in order for legislators to believe that SEPTA is worth sending more money to. Throwing up their hands and saying they can't do anything about benefits costs (the primary driver of SEPTA's growing deficit) basically says SEPTA is unmanageable in its current state.

Matthew D. Mitchell, Ph.D.
(health policy analyst as well as SEPTA-watcher)

Dr. Mitchell. You make a some valid arguments. But overall I must disagree with you, doctorate and all. I will admit that healthcare costs are skyrocketing and that the state lawmakers have their eyes on SEPTA's handling of the current contract. One also has to admit that SEPTA has a plenty of fat in injustified SAM positions over at 1234 Market. There are far to many people on the A payroll, far to many supervisors as well. I don't know how they justify their jobs in all honesty. I am well aware that what the TWU gets contractually will eventually have a domino effect on all SEPTA employees, whether they are UTU, BLET, Red Arrow, Frontier, or even nonunion A payroll personnel. But once again, if SEPTA were so cash strapped, and if they were so interested in cost saving initiatives, they would have started from the top a long time ago. I know I live in a small town called Utopia; but, sir, the employees have to draw the line in the sand at some point. SEPTA can use skyrocketing healthcare costs as a bargaining chip all they want; I guarantee that if an independent auditor worth his weight looked at SEPTA's payroll, the amount of unjustified positions within that company (and there are many), and the sheer mismanagement, there would be a ton of savings. If you look at the amount of revenue SEPTA loses in cash fares that aren't collected between Center City staitons on the Regional Rail ($3.50 each for a special round trip ticket), annually your losing millions. What about the infamous F-042 Purple form (SEPTA's version of the IOU) that they issue when someone claims not to be able to pay the cash fare. I agree with you somewhat Dr. Mitchell; but as one who sees the company from within the circle, there's alot more within the picture than just healthcare. How much more should the workers give back to SEPTA. And your exactly right; it IS a conflict of interest for the labor relations board to be ultimately negotiating the terms of their own contract. Funny how it starts from the bottom up. To coin a phrase from his honor Ed, "it's the trend." Give me a break. And since when did the editorial pages of The Philadelphia Daily Rag and the Philadelphia Inquirer dictate policy towards SEPTA's contract negotiations with employees, particularly in light of their recent layoffs to save on their bottom line? You've got to be kidding! If SEPTA's image is in 'tatters' in the eyes of the state legislators, of whom I don't ever recall being proponents of SEPTA anyway, its of SEPTA's own doing. Anyone with two-eyes can see the Authority is mismanaged and overmanaged. Instead of riding the backs of employee benefits, maybe someone should start looking at the those A payroll employees (supervisory, adminstrative, and management thank you very much) who make far more than their union counterparts when you look at hours worked and annual salary comparisons, benefits, sick time, and vacation time. The average SEPTA supervisor (and there are a lot of them) earns roughly $65,000 annually(and that is a low ball figure on a whole I assure you) for a basic 40 hour work week; the typical bus driver, conductor, engineer , motormen work an average of about 55-65 hour work weeks for comparable annual salaries and far less benefits. I wonder why SEPTA has a hard time meeting their bottom line? HMMMMMMMM.