I would very much like to side with labor as a rule of thumb. However, this union does not work for some evil for-profit corporation; they work for us, the USA, PA and Philadelphia tax payers. SEPTA, as a business, does not even cover half of its costs of operation. The rest of the money comes from Federal, State and local subsidies. Why? BECAUSE IT IS AN ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE. Some might even say that SEPTA service compares to services like Police, Firefighters, Trash Collection [cough, cough]. If any of these services were to strike, there would be holy hell. There better be an astonishing social injustice behind that kind of strike.

With SEPTA, in my experience over the last decade, you have amazingly poor customer service – be it behind the counter or on the bus/trolley/subway (regional rail is separate from this potential labor dispute). I’m sure many bus/trolley/subway riders would agree. It’s really tough to get behind rude/ignorant/unhelpful/entitled people when their benefits come out of our pockets either by fare or through taxes. Being that many riders who rely (not appreciate, but rely) upon SEPTA services could only hope to be paid (including benefits) as SEPTA employees are, there is little support there as well when the strike happens.

I can sympathize with having to bear a new brunt of Healthcare costs – as almost everyone else has to do the same. However, until SEPTA wields more union/political power for the greater Healthcare reform movement [Single Payer, hollah!] – I will lend a deaf ear to their, “just cause you lost yours, doesn’t mean I can’t keep mine” argument when they essentially coerce the rest of us underinsureds to foot their bill simply to have them resume their essential services.

Certain unions give the union movement, in general, a bad name. I would say that the Transport Workers Union falls into this category.

You know what happened the last time SEPTA workers went on strike? People a lot worse off than SEPTA workers lost jobs permanently or temporarily. And what did the noble SEPTA union win at that price?

Again, what are they fighting for here? And is that really worth the loss of money on the part of the less fortunate?

I’ll stop the hard asking questions, you can return to knee jerking your romantic view of labor and wet dream over how the “Greatest Generation” got things done through a spirit national unity (cough).

Please invite me and Mayor Nutter to your magical arboretum. I’m sure it will help solve the “we’ve got no money, but if we pay people more we’ll get more money” dilemma we both find ourselves in.

The reason cities and states are at budget deficits right now is because of loss of revenue, revenue lost by wages of those who were laid off. The *last* thing we need right now is people making more money and putting more back into the pot.

broad brush, maybe, but as a frequent user of all Septa systems under a strike threat, I’d say it pretty well matches the situation.