I doubt anyone *wants* a strike.WM: I have to disagree. In this morning's Strib, Nick Coleman said that ATU 1005 going out was a Pawlenty engineered strike. Smelled like that to me a few days ago as well. It's especially interesting that the union did it's level best to seek compromise and each time the answer was "no." If I were an MCTO employee, I'd wonder what kind of management is it that wants to take over $2,400 out of my paycheck each year. If I'm the employee, show up for work every day, pull out on time, stay on schedule, pick up and drop off my passengers, and etc., how can my employer say I'm worth less this year than I was last?
As a person who does not use the buses and is not presently a union member in any union, but who relies on the buses to carry people, I'm honked as all get out at the governor and Bell. They're going to turn my city into a quagmire for however long, bring in rookie drivers (rookies on routes if not rookies in licensure), and generally screw up activity in both Mpls. and St. Paul and suburbs of both. Some ones who do that are egomaniacal and certainly lock-step opposed to understanding the needs of a metropolitan area and its citizens.
If the transit strike gets sympathy strikes, work slowdowns, etc. from other unions, this whole region could be tied up three ways from the middle. If the teamsters also go out, knowing this move is the camel's nose in the tent for their health care, we'll be in a considerable hum.
Unions do a marvelous job of protecting workers rights.WM: Actually, ATU 1005 has only done a so-so job of protecting workers rights. They did a good job of protecting access to health care for people who suck diesel 10 hours a day, get pummeled in knees, hips, back, neck, bladder, kidneys, and liver year in and year out. It was in the mid-1980s when the MTC finally toted up the cost of worker's comp cases and ordered new buses with power steering. They didn't install hydraulic driver seats till even later. The bus company has been penny wise-dollar foolish.
I think it was Medtronic, a leader in the field, who, in the 80s, restructured their whole manufacturing configuration in order to lower the number of worker comp cases. The MTC's reply to drivers was an option for chiropractic care.
WM: They had good benefits, but I wouldn't have called them wonderful. Drivers who were single had a better deal than married-with-children or single-with-children drivers. Top pay doesn't mean much when the difference between the top and the average is only about a buck to a buck-fifty and the take away amounts to over $200/mo. What the state wants to do is claim that transit workers are out of line. They are not. Bus driving is one of the top stress jobs in the job spectrum--right up there with airport towers.However, it seemed to me that the Met Council has some points in their position:
http://www.metrocouncil.org/labor/METCposition.pdf
Before we condemn the Met Council (and encourage assaulting replacement workers) maybe a discussion on the facts is merited? According the Met Council, the bus drivers already receive wonderful benefits and top pay. Are they wrong?
WM: Everyone who doesn't have a job and doesn't want her/his children to go hungry. That only makes sense. Of course he/she is willing to work for less. They've seen what happens to those who insisted they are worth more as experienced employees to the bottom line than are newcomers. However, I am personally offended as a working person with the Republican "let them eat cake" routine. No one, but no one was elected Emperor.If my friend is correct -- that the Met Council is planning to permanently replace striking workers -- I wonder how many qualified people will apply for jobs at the offered compensation package?
WizardMarks, Central
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