Is there really a deal? | Philly

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Is there really a deal?

Jamie Horowitz, spokesman for the TWU, just told us that a press conference being held at the Bellevue this afternoon will not include an announcement of a final deal between the union and SEPTA:

Progress is being made, the union is preparing a counter proposal that will be sent over via Congressman Brady. If the counter proposal is accepted by SEPTA, then the board is in place to vote on that. The other thing they will be considering will be if they feel comfortable enough with the agreement to ask people to return to work immediately or if a member ratification vote will be held to approve it as well.

There are one or possibly two votes that have to happen before trains start running. The big thing right now is if SEPTA accepts this counter proposal.

We'll update you when we know more.

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Posted by Ben Waxman @ 2:00 PM Permalink | 31 comments

Comments

Posted 02:10 PM, 11/07/2009

southphillyitaliana

Unreal. Fire em all. NOW!

Posted 02:13 PM, 11/07/2009

phillychuck

I am embarrassed to be in Cong. Brady's district. Someone should tell him that his district (including Society Hill, Old City and Queen Village) is more than just union thugs.

Posted 02:16 PM, 11/07/2009

nb378

This is such BS. Fire them all, hire people who have been laid off and would appreciate the job, and let the citizens get back to a normal routine. Oh, and stop getting our hopes up with reports of press conferences.

Posted 02:22 PM, 11/07/2009

ipaymytaxes

They must not have given Slick Willie a big enough pay-off. Slick Willie should go back to his hot dog stand, $52,000 salary with full benefits, shut his mouth and go away.

Posted 02:26 PM, 11/07/2009

tgwtim071

Those who have no understanding of what it means to be in a Union, should not comment on Unions.

Posted 02:34 PM, 11/07/2009

MrMayhem

Hey tgwtim071 - I've been in a union...United Food and Commercial Workers.. Unions SUCK !

Posted 02:34 PM, 11/07/2009

horriblekitty

tgwtim071, I am in a union and I vehemetly disagree with this strike. There are other people in unions out there that also think this is ludicrous. There are even people in SEPTIC's union that think this strike is bull$h--. There was no reason for this to ever happen, the union was getting a pie in the sky compared to what the aeverage working-class stiff gets these days.

Posted 02:35 PM, 11/07/2009

flyersfan74

Oh, You have Got to be Kidding me - How Many of these False alarms are we going to have to put up with!!! SEPTA must Really, Really enjoy Royally ticking off their customers - Get to a judge and Order those Bums back to work!

Posted 02:40 PM, 11/07/2009

karona

i cannot believe these greedy goons are gonna be rewardedfor their criminal behaivior. Fire em all- get a quick job fair together at the spectrum, im sure they will be able to find plenty of grateful people willing to work.. Anyways, its not like speta employees do some spectacular job .

Posted 02:45 PM, 11/07/2009

thebaron

twa pigs..This is beyond a joke. Unions have done nothing to better their greedy name

Posted 02:49 PM, 11/07/2009

tstu98

fire em all, go to court bust the union and hire out of work people to do their jobs!!! This is such a joke, who didnt get paid off is the question the news should be asking b/c thats whats holding up this deal!!!

Posted 02:50 PM, 11/07/2009

BleedingRed

fire them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 02:51 PM, 11/07/2009

xchuckiscoolx

I'm done following media coverage of this. Every story seems to contain nothing but conjecture and it is irresponsible. I will believe this strike is over when I am sitting on a subway train.

Posted 02:52 PM, 11/07/2009

mikeyg

First, why is Brady the "messenger boy"; secondly - why can't they tell them to report to work immediately? They went on strike immediately. Third, this debacle moves Slick Willie from high school to trolley driver to union head to out of work - guaranteed. As a side note, I'd like to see "Congressman" Brady work on telling us what is actually in the health care bill and answer why the democrats blocked a bill that would put a question on the census that asks if the person is a citizen, rather than playing "messenger boy" for some extorted votes.

Posted 02:55 PM, 11/07/2009

mlasso

This is a very irresponsible strike. Strikes were made to confront management hubris and there is no hubris here. This is extortion. These people are getting more than they are worth because they have their union. You want a larger contribution to your pension, well, so do the rest of us, but we don't show up for work, we get fired. Unions have become unAmerican and I don't have to have every been in one to know this.

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Ben Waxman reports and blogs for “It's Our Money.” Before joining “It's Our Money,” he was a regular contributor to the Philadelphia Daily News op-ed page and former contributor to the blog Young Philly Politics. He studied political science at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.

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