There's plenty of action for Philadelphia residents, merchants, visitors and voters this week and next, and plenty of potential for some of it to be quite unfortunate.

Topping the list, of course, is the World Series with teams from two of the grittiest cities on the East Coast. Naturally, Philly and the Phillies are basking in the national limelight during the Fall Classic, and while the Phillies could be swept by the Yankees, we hope the Phils are the ones that do the sweeping.

Sadly, though, there appears to be a good chance that many baseball fans will have a difficult time getting to Citizens Bank Park on Halloween night to see Game 3, the first home game of the series - thanks to the greedy, selfish members of the Transport Workers Union, Local 234, who are threatening to strike if a new contract is not reached by Saturday.

If TWU members care to be decent, they will delay any work stoppage until after the World Series is concluded. TWU members have no room to complain; they already make very handsome wages and pay just 1 percent of the cost of their health insurance.

With a national unemployment rate nearing 10 percent, plenty of other people would love to have the jobs of TWU members who no longer wish to work.

For the good of the city and the region, if SEPTA and the union cannot agree on a fair and financially reasonable contract, they should at least agree to disagree - without a strike.

Transit strike or not, if there's a sports god, the Phillies will capture their second consecutive title at home this weekend. That would clear the way for baseball fanatics to devote some of their attention to what really and truly matters: Voting on Election Day next Tuesday.

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