Why strike now? | Philly

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Why strike now?

(AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)

I'll admit, I was pretty shocked to wake up and find out SEPTA workers were on strike. Just a few hours ago, I wrote about how Bob Brady, Ed Rendell, and Michael Nutter had averted disaster and kept services running during the World Series. Now, commuters are stranded and picket lines are being set up across the city.

Here's the biggest question: Why did the union decide to strike now? I can't imagine more leverage than the ability to disrupt the World Series. It was enough to get high-level elected officials involved and keep SEPTA at the table. It seems like the union just decided to give up its best bargaining chip.

But the truth is that SEPTA workers always have a lot of leverage. There are over 900,000 rides taken on the system every day, and thousands count on SEPTA to get to work. That means that any strike, even if it happens after the World Series, disrupts a lot of people's lives. That translates into a lot of juice for SEPTA workers.

Why did they wait? It could be that Rendell threatened to crush them if they struck during the World Series, but not after; it could be that they just didn't like what they heard at the bargaining table over the weekend. In any case, as we can see today, they still have plenty of potency. And hey, if the Phils manage to beat the odds and deliver a parade, that increased leverage will come right back.

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Posted by Ben Waxman @ 11:53 AM Permalink | 4 comments

Comments

Posted 03:00 PM, 11/03/2009

Ivan Boothe

The transit strike on Election Day is a great reminder of how much of our democracy we owe to labor unions. Weekends, eight-hour workdays, sick leave, workplace safety laws, Social Security, anti-discrimination laws -- all thanks to workers striking. Sure, it inconveniences me a little when it happens, but frankly sometimes there are bigger things than me getting to work on time. It's unfortunate that a system that primarily services working-class folks negatively affects those same folks when it goes on strike. Fundamentally, though, the cause of the strike isn't workers who are being strong-armed out of a living wage but politicians who think multinational banks are "too big to fail" and reward them for their poor business decisions that ruined people's lives -- but think nothing of asking an already shortchanged public transit system to make even deeper cuts.

Posted 08:54 PM, 11/03/2009

mikeyg

Striking was for the fifties, sixties and seventies to get proper representation, benefits and training programs. Today, it is simply for greed. The lady who keeps posting on here says we do not know that they make Septa workers stay on their job past their scheduled end time. So what. You show me someone leaving work exactly at their end time today and I'll show you someone headed for the unemployment line. What does an 11% salary increase have to do with being kept after work. They already get overtime pay. Try a salaried job where you have to put in an extra 10 hours a week for no pay. Stop the whining. 1% healthcare is disgusting, even the people who work for Blue Cross pay higher than that.

Posted 09:11 PM, 11/03/2009

asdfjkl1234567890

That cashier making $52K a year can very well afford a nice high-deductible plan (say $3000). Hell, fire 'em all and replace them with illegal Mexicans!

Posted 09:36 PM, 11/03/2009

plantur66

Being a city worker isnt as glamourous as you believe, why would a governing body expect its workers to work without a contract? the perfect time to strike is now! the city gets its revenues on time so get the contracts signed mayor nutter! Im sure if a city was trying to take from any of you, but demand the work still be done all of you would be outraged!, TO balance the deficit, stop giving 10yr tax brakes, Give up the city vehicles and drivers and drive yourselves! how about making the mayors Staff smaller and make them do more work? How about our new Police Chief and Our new Chief Medical examiner for this city? They both came in Above what the job was paying, but nobody knows about that! Pay attention people to what the mayor is telling you and what hes actually doing! GO SEPTA! FIGHT FOR YOUR CONTRACT!!!

4 comments

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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.

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