Here I am, sitting at my desk, Day 4 of the 2009 SEPTA strike. I've got some stuff to add to the conversation in addition to what's been said in the Open Thread: SEPTA Strike 2009. I'm with the union on this one. Yes, the guy behind the site entitled SEPTAfail is standing with the TWU234. I know, I probably just blew some of your minds. It's not that I'm unaffected by the strike, it's not that I don't give a shit about those who can't get around town without public transportation, it's not that I don't give a shit about people who don't earn as good a living as some SEPTA employees do. It's that unions have a place in this time, this country, this city. America has changed a lot since the inception of unions, but they've managed to stick around whether you like it or not.
America is no longer the manufacturing powerhouse it once was. Hell, it isn't the manufacturing powerhouse it was 20 years ago. Times are a changing for sure. As America changes, fewer and fewer people are working in labor-intensive jobs. America has basically shifted to a consumer culture. Sure there's a resurgence in farming/gardening, making your own clothes, DIY stuff in general - but it's on a small scale. There are fewer farms controlled by even fewer large agri-business entities. Multinational corporations make decisions, large manufacturing plants are closing. The mindset of unions is less prevalent than ever. But here we are Philly. Once an industrial capital of the entire world. Decidedly turned against the unions who are fighting to protect something most Americans don't have anymore: pensions.
That's what this strike is about - Pensions. You won't read stuff like that in the papers or watch it on the local news coverage anywhere from what I've seen. All I've seen is a one-sided argument for the union to back down and let everyone remain at the status quo we were at before. Back when the union was working without a contract - for 6 months. It was an issue 6 months ago and the city/state/union should've had it taken care of ages ago and there should never have been a strike. I'll agree to that much, sure. But we're right in the middle of it now and it doesn't look like it'll be another week-long strike like 2005's. In the comments section of the news articles and random blog posts from around the way I see a ton of anonymous comments asking for as much to "Kill 'em all." as one commenter so eloquently put it on this very blog. Pathetic and cowardly.
So let's see what the people on strike have to say about it. Here are some of their faces. They are real people who are currently not earning any money while on strike. How much would it take for you to walk out on your job right now in this economy? To not earn any money while standing up for what you believe in? Would you do it? Could you do it? I couldn't. But the members of 234 feel it's that important to them to do so. In my book, that earns some serious respect points. Here's a video the people at Media Mobilizing Project put together while noticing all the one-sided coverage in the local news.
Let me highlight a part of the video taken from a November 4th TWU234 meeting. Union president Willie Brown:
While other issues remain unsettled, one of our main issues is pensions. Our pension.
Our pension is funded, roughly, at about 52%. That level is totally unacceptable for us. It has nothing to do with the economy crashing. It has to do with SEPTA underfunding the pension, negligently, over the last 20 years. Whereas our pension is funded at 52%, SEPTA's management's pension is funded roughly, about 90%. Whereas we put twice as much into the pension as SEPTA, they get twice as much out. On the other hand, SEPTA puts twice as much away for managers as 234 members.
There you have it in a nutshell. You have to understand that there's SEPTA and there's the TWU Local 234; they are two separate entities. SEPTA is the one controlling the money, TWU represents the workers asking for a fair funding of their pension.
Watch the video above to see It's Our Money's Ben Waxman talk to brown. SEPTA has a lot of money right now from increased federal dollars and revenue from increased ridership. SEPTA has, in theory, a dedicated source of funding if the I-80 toll thing ever passes. We'll see what happens in the future. It's Our Money points out while it can be argued that both sides are right in saying SEPTA is flush with cash (234 stance) and that it's still not doing well (management), it can't be argued that SEPTA is in a better financial state than it was in 2005 during the last strike/negotiation. Brown noted in the interview with Waxman that in 2005, SEPTA agreed to a 5-year contract for the first time ever. SEPTA announced $40M deficit in 2005, threatened to cut routes and weekend service, but TWU234 got the 3% increase they asked for. But now, SEPTA is offering less. Explain that?
Ronnie Polaneczky complains:
I'm thinking about the 400 employees at Crozer Chester Medical Center who lost their jobs this year. And the 22 staffers axed last Thursday at Drinker Biddle & Reath. And the Comcast employees who learned on Wednesday that the cable giant plans to pink-slip a number of workers, even though the company is enjoying a fabulously profitable year.Yes, it sucks that people are getting laid off left and right. I've had several friends come to me in the last year for help looking for jobs for one reason or another. It fucking sucks. But for Polaneczky to arrogantly bring up the plight of Comcast workers without bringing up the fact that David Cohen, the highest earner in the city and big wig up a the top of the Comcast Center is pulling in $22M a year and that their cable monopoly has a stranglehold on this city as well? Bullshit and piss poor writing. Sure, she's a columnist and not a reporter, but come on. Give up a couple column inches to feign journalistic standards/integrity for a second here.
People keep bringing up the things the union turned down - the staggered 2.5% and 3% raises (without merit, mind you) and $1250 bonuses. Sure that's great for the short term. But that's a horribly near-sighted view to take. A typically American near-sighted view at that. TWU234 is looking at the long view here. They're looking out for their members. Just as Americans should be worried about Social Security drying out before they get a taste of it through the mirage of what retirement has become. TWU234 wants their hard-working membership to be able to have some peace once they retire.
So you can continue to have at it in the comments. But I know that there are people reading this blog like Adam Feldman, justin, Joselle and Wes who are seeing the other side of this strike. NOBODY, I repeat: NOBODY wants a strike. Not the union, not the ridership, not SEPTA management, not me, not you, not Nutter, not Rendell, not Brady, not Fattah, not Evans... But we're here. And it's incumbent upon people to understand what the strike is about and to be more informed. I don't give a shit if you disagree with me, the TWU234 or whomever. I want you to understand what's going on and I think few do.
Now feel free to rip me a new one in the comments. Also, feel free to appreciate what the TWU234 does and is doing.
Since there is no end to anti-strike stuff around the way, I thought I'd point to some more pro-TWU Local 234 posts from around the way:
Ray Murphy over at Young Philly Politics
Septa Watch
The Bee Side
SEPTA Girl
Send in your comments/rants/stories/photos/videos! Rants everything else.
