Why is accurate information about the SEPTA strike so hard to come by? | Philly

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Why is accurate information about the SEPTA strike so hard to come by?

Well, it happened again. Gov. Ed Rendell said last night that SEPTA and the TWU were close to a deal to end the five-day old transit strike. Today, we find out that no agreement is in place. Why does this keep happening?

Politicians speak, people listen. Gov. Ed Rendell and other elected officials have inserted themselves into contract negotiations. Now, instead of just hearing from the union and management, the public (and media) is getting information from third-party sources. So far, politicians have promised a settlement three separate times, only to see the various deals fall apart. We're not sure why that is, but it's important to remember that no elected official -- even Gov. Rendell -- can force a settlement. Ultimately, it's up to the union and management. They'll be the ones who tell us when the strike is over.

The public is eager for a settlement. Why do announcements from politicians generate so much interest? Well, the general public is hoping for a quick resolution to the strike. The media, aware of this desire, have been eagerly covering possible deals. And so everyone keeps on thinking the strike is about to end.

The union isn't talking much. So far, TWU Local 234 has only held one press conference, and union chief Willie Brown has granted few interviews. Consequently, information from the labor perspective has been scarce. Any deal to end the strike will need approval from the union, though, so wait to hear from them before you believe the strike is over.

Negotiations are complicated. This might seem like a basic point, but contract negotiations are extremely complicated. The issues being discussed -- wages, healthcare, work rules, and pensions -- impact a tremendous number of workers and account for billions of dollars, and it takes a lot of time for management and the union to work through the proposals. It's even harder for them to explain things to the media and the public. This all makes it very difficult for either side to speak with authority until a final deal has been reached.

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Posted by Ben Waxman @ 5:07 PM Permalink | 24 comments

Comments

Posted 06:09 PM, 11/07/2009

BillyInPhilly

Gov. Ed Rendell's next speech: "We will not be held hostage by these thugs every time their contract is up. We will not stand for illegal strikes at 3am. For this reason, I give SEPTA until midnight on Sunday to come to a deal, or we will begin to bring in private workers to run the trolleys, busses, and trains until the negotiations are over. We will not put our citizens through another week of hell!"

Posted 06:26 PM, 11/07/2009

lance71

The police should arrest all of the picketers around burning barrels and charge them with violating the open burning ordinance

Posted 06:30 PM, 11/07/2009

eparico

Mr. Waxman, Rendell stated very clearly several times last night that this was not by any means, a promise that the strike would end. They were very optimistic and it's a shame that it brought hope to so many people, but he was very clear in his statement.

Posted 06:44 PM, 11/07/2009

benwaxman

eparico: I'm not blaming Rendell, at least not entirely. I think a lot of the media printed his statements and sort of twisted things to make it sound like a deal was much closer than it actually was. -Ben

Posted 07:02 PM, 11/07/2009

Mark Chalupa

BillyinPhilly in it isn't an illegal strike, so there is no reason.

Posted 07:14 PM, 11/07/2009

eparico

Ben, you're right about that and I hope you don't feel I was criticizing you. Most of the articles I've read throughout the day could potentially lead people to believe that he made a false promise when he didn't. It's already bad enough that the city of Philadelphia is brewing over this strike and now more angered by the media's twist on his words. I hope other members of the media are reading this and I'm asking that they make sure they are more clear in their own statements that are misleading the public in an already volatile issue.

Posted 08:19 PM, 11/07/2009

pasavant

Doesnt Nutter looking dopey? He is certainly the worst Mayor Ive ever seen in this City. Just plain clueless.

Posted 09:24 PM, 11/07/2009

catwhowalks99

You forgot one: the media isn't reporting the numerous sides clearly, nor providing any context, on what's going on. Instead, they jump on minor developments and massage them into badly written, spelling-error-filled, un-fact-checked 'articles' with sensational, catchy headlines. Why? Because it's better to catch the attention of readers. Remember when people read newspapers and watched the evening news to find out the facts on all sides of the issue? Those days are over.

Posted 09:40 PM, 11/07/2009

Daniel Hoffman

Nutter doesn't understand people whom he cannot have a reasonable discussion with. It makes him nuts. The union has not done one thing to support health care reform over all these years. They have theirs, why care about any other people who don't have health benefits? Health care costs are destroying American workers and TWU has not done one thing to be part of the solution. Now we're on strike because we don't like Obama as much as we loved Bush.

Posted 10:35 PM, 11/07/2009

Noah_Webster

The union is a business and a monopoly. Refusing to work without the possibility to replace the strikers is equivalent to PECO deciding to turn the electricity off until they get a rate hike. Total compensation should be set and regulated in the same way that electrical rates are regulated. A rate/pay commission would compare SEPTA wages and benefits with those earned in the private sector for a similar skill/education level as well taking into account the financial condition of the city. These two pieces of data would then be used to set pay levels. If turnover rises to typical private sector levels then wages have been set fairly. If it is lower than average then we know the SEPTA employees have a good deal. If it is higher than average we know that they are not getting paid enough. In fact looking at current turnover levels and comparing them to private sector levels wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for an enterprising journalist to do. It might tell us just how "under" or "over" paid the strikers are.

Posted 11:12 PM, 11/07/2009

eparico

Cat, I agree and would love to see some articles with statements from the union members themselves. Where are those interviews? The only one who has really spoken for the union has been Brown and it's been nothing but tough talk. Is this really the opinion of the union members? I've read many article comments today from the members who are asking to end the strike but shamefully, it seems that at this point they have to stay anonymous. Anyone from the 234 care to provide some insight as to why no one from the union has spoken up publicly against Brown?

Posted 12:21 AM, 11/08/2009

phillypapers

The $52,000 income everyone claims is average for Septa workers is wrong. According to this very website: "SEPTA bus, subway, and trolley operators earn from $14.54 to $24.24 an hour, reaching the top rate after four years. Mechanics earn $14.40 to $27.59 an hour." Do the math. Unless every employee of Septa is a mechanic that has been there for 20 years this $52,000 income is a lie. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20091029_SEPTA_union_tells_workers__Get_ready_for_strike.html

Posted 01:35 AM, 11/08/2009

podunko

Averaging at a conservative $20 hr. x 40 hours x 52 weeks = $40,800 Throw in ot (of which I guarantee there's plenty) and benefits, and it's not far from $52,000 professor...

Posted 07:14 AM, 11/08/2009

Umaguma

I'd be willing to bet that the union leaders are warning the members to keep their mouths shut or else. The call for a direct member vote is appropriate in this case. The members need a push from outside forces to abandon their "leadership" and take the current deal. There are way way too many citizens who are sick of being extorted and would be willing to put up with the downtime necessary to replace the workforce with non union. Thats where this is going thank god. We need reliable public transportation we can count on, not be held hostage to cough up more taxes to pad the pockets of union and septa leadership.

Posted 10:23 AM, 11/08/2009

MB6

I want the strike to end but the union is dead-on about the pension fund. Their request for an independent audit is more than reasonable, it's a profoundly good idea considering what the country is now learning about corrosive investment banking practices. The public should know more details about who and how the fund has been managed. It's more important than ever, and more than a good faith effort, to fully examine the pension fund in view of current conditions. If a supposedly healthy person has a sudden heart attack but survives, they wouldn't send him home without a full physical exam. And the sticking point regarding the potential impact of national healthcare reform is very very interesting. Some might not know that nationally, major labor unions are in full support of single payer universal healthcare....http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/files/articles/afl-cio_pro-weiner_ad.pdf.... Calling for a “yes” vote on the Weiner Medicare for All (HR 676) Amendment, the national AFL-CIO and eight unions have placed a full page advertisement in Thursday’s “Roll Call,” a Capital Hill newspaper. In addition to the AFL-CIO the unions signing the ad are the International Association of Machinists (IAM), United Mine Workers (UMWA), International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), Utility Workers Union (UWUA), International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), California School Employees Association (CSEA), United Electrical Workers (UE), United American Nurses, and the California Nurses Association (CNA/NNOC).

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EXCLUSIVE: UNION PRESIDENT SPEAKS OUT

It's Our Money's Ben Waxman interviews TWU Local 234 president Willie Brown on why he called the strike when he did, what it's like to be more hated than A-Rod, and what it will take the union to go back on the job. Click here to see the exclusive interview.

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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.

Doron Taussig is the Project Manager for “It's Our Money.” He is also a graduate student in communications at Temple University. Previously he worked as a Staff Writer and News Editor for the Philadelphia City Paper.

Dave Merrell is the Web Editor for "It's Our Money." He comes to the project from Philly.com, where he is a web producer. Originally from upstate New York, he moved to Philadelphia after graduating from Haverford College with a degree in math and economics.

Anthony Campisi reports and blogs for "It's Our Money." Originally hailing from Central Jersey, he came to Philadelphia while a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied intellectual history. He also writes about transportation for PlanPhilly, an innovative urban planning website started by PennPraxis, the consulting arm of the Penn School of Design.