And Now, Fantastic And Wonderful Leaps Of Logic Made By Willie Brown In His Interview With City Paper
Willie Brown, the embattled and unloved blob/leader of Transportation Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, went on a bit of a media tour this week, speaking with Philly’s two alt-weeklies. In Philadelphia Weekly, on Wednesday we learned what we pretty much already knew: Dude has a conspiracy theory about possibly underfunded pensions at SEPTA, and has every intention of racking up legal fees in the service of said theory. Yesterday, City Paper ran a long sit-down with Brown, taking extra special pains to edit this guy as little as possible. (Having ran A.D. Amorosi columns for decades now, this is something City Paper has a certain amount of experience with.) Among our favorite bits of the interview:
· First shot out of the gate: “The strike is what it was. It was a fight for the working-class people.” Do go on, Mr. Guevara.
· Crazy rationalizations left and right about the strike, saying that cosmic forces beyond himself — and possibly even the public — demanded the strike. Oh, and after going without a contract since last March, THE WORLD SERIES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING. No, honest.
· The bit where Willie fully disowns a quote he uttered in front of an entire gaggle of reporters.
· Refers to Mayor Nutter as “macho.”
· Actually, this bit almost makes sense: “Mayor Nutter was not there to necessarily get a deal. He was there to make sure that we didn’t get a deal that would actually impact the city negotiations [with its municipal unions].” That Willie is crazy, alright. CRAZY LIKE A FOX.
· The part where Willie says that Nutter intentionally hung back in the negotiating room when the strike was announced, thus throwing Willie Brown out there first to the media lions. Hahahahah. We knew there was a reason we voted for this guy.
· “When I walk into the store, even to this day, I see people, and they’re not telling me I was wrong.” That’s because they’re already busy telling you how much the big bag of Funyuns costs.
· Willie Brown is Sarah Palin: He characterizes much of the media coverage of the strike and the negotiations as false, but also claims to have read very little of it.
· “If they attack our structure, they’re basically attacking the structure of the United States.”
So, yeah: It’s a doozy, for sure. But also a great read, and a window into the mind of a man and a mentality that, as Jeffrey C. Billman and Isaiah Thompson point out towards the end, are basically going to be holding the city hostage every five years until they can’t anymore.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Please keep on referring to him as “SEPTA the Hut.” Thanks you.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Alright. The event that the city witnesses and demonizes every so often with SEPTA’s transit union strike is simply an example of workers democratically impacting their working conditions. Its an example of workers that have learned to fight together – and thus cause a change in the terms of their employment.
The reason its strange and upsetting to most of us – aside from annoyance – is that we have been taught to endure dictatorial rule in the workplace – taught to beg for raises and live without them – taught that we must endure – taught that we have no power over our own conditions – and taught that when we’re fired, we just have to lump it.
We are conditioned to think that we stand alone vis’a'vis our employer. That’s great if our employer is benevolent and generous, not so great if our employer gives no benefits, offers shitty hours and shitty pay. We’re orange pickers – but Septa workers are not. They’ve learned to fight together.
Make fun of Brown, he’s a cartoon. Make fun of greed and abuse. But the majority of the people working for SEPTA don’t live anywhere near luxury. They simply participate in and are supported by their Union. To the extent they can engineer themselves a 2.5% raise (in 5 years), a decent pension, and full health care, we should be happy for them – and think about ways to do that same in our own situations.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
lol @ Brown saying there’s “absolutely nothing” the union could do to help SEPTA riders. jackass.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Right on, rk.
I would be tempted to side with the united workers fight on mentality if I thought these people made any effort to aid their riders instead of, say, stepping on the gas when the guy trying to get to work is running up to the stop.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I’m pro-LB on this issue. That was a well-written and rational observation of this whole unseemly affair.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
LB: though I will give much credence to your argument – in a general, hypothetical sense – and will even cede jealousy on my part, I argue that you must view the SEPTA example with critical specificity. We’re talking about a union who performs a necessary public service with 60+% taxpayer subsidization that has gone on strike 3 times in 11 years to the direct detriment of 400K work-a-day tax-payers and the indirect detriment of millions. Most recently, they pulled this stunt when comprable city/state workers took pay/benefit cuts and the public at large is suffering the worst recession since the ’30s. Maybe uncertain times like these should dictate a temporary contract – rather than guaranteed raises for 5 years independent of external economic factors.
In my opinion, it’s about time that SEPTA contracts are subject to arbitration/limitations like police/firemen and other Mass Transit agencies so that we are not “held hostage” almost every contract cycle.
“the majority of the people working for SEPTA don’t live anywhere near luxury”
Maybe, then, they should seek higher education like the rest of us jealous folks who do not have the benefit of unions and work for far less with significant debt. At any rate, can you blame folks for a lack of sympathy, especially when we’re the ones – not SEPTA management – who are inconvenienced by the strike. The fact that your average bus driver makes about as much as your average Teacher just blows my mind.
Until TWU Local or National puts there money towards benefiting the working class at large (for instance, lobbying single-payer healthcare) – rather than just looking out for themselves and consistently installing ineffectual/corrupt democratic insiders through campaign contributions, they will garner little sympathy from me. I’m not even a SEPTA rider (gave up SEPTA for biking years back) but I am still outraged. The idea that their victories, in any way, trickle down to the working class at large does not fly in my book (not that you’re claiming this).
November 20th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
AFR: A couple of responses to your points. Teachers are underpaid, no question. But a particular job is not necessarily more valuable than another. A bus driver, a teacher, a cop – all are vital service providers. I certainly don’t know how to decide which should make more money.
Also, I’d say that Unions exist as representatives of their particular unit of workers, so they must focus there. However, their efforts do spill out into the realm of “benefiting the working class” at large. Most unions, TWU included, actively support and lobby for comprehensive national health care reform. The reason is simple: Union contracts with employers would cost less if they didn’t include contributions to fund health care for each worker. Therefore Union labor would be more competitive, get more work, attract more members, etc.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
LB: in my anarcho-syndicalist utopia, no worker is paid more than the other as we all have equal access resources including, and most specifically, education. In this utopia, disparities in wealth do not exist and, therefore, cops do not exist. However, in depressing reality of today, there are very hard statistics regarding the amount of money/time invested for the education/certification required to become a teacher as opposed to being a bus driver. There are also very hard statistics regarding occupational hazards of specific job. Though I would not claim it easy to assess exactly how much one’s time is “worth,” I believe that I can safely make the claim that a cop, fireperson, or teacher “deserve” to make more money than the bus driver. I will cede that arguing “this person has it as bad or worse” is a shitty argument for not supporting another worker’s endeavors. However, how often Philly Teachers/Police/Firemen strike?
I would love to see documentation on TWU, specifically, spending money on health care reform I would like to see dollar amounts. Also, I would like to – without discounting your point completely – distinguish between substantial health care reform and that of the union-backed Democrats’ version of reform (opt-out Public Option that is not offered to folks who already have shitty Walmart-brand health plans being the best case scenario at this point in the legislative process). Spending money supporting Democratic candidates does not count in my book.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
No problem, check out the healthcare site for TWU Local 100 (NYC, one of the biggest). Extremely complete (and user-friendly) – including expressly supporting single-payer by the way. http://www.twulocal100.org/node/2806
November 20th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
@rainbow, Cops and firefighters are prohibited from striking by law. The teachers used to strike (and threaten to strike) quite a bit, but they are no longer allowed to since the state took over the school district.
Also why do people call teachers underpaid? They have top-notch benefits, a killer pension (way better than TWU), and they only work 9 months out of the year plus lots of vacation and sick days that roll over year to year. They also can’t get fired unless they drop their pants, and get raises and promotions based on seniority rather than performance. Factor all that in, and being a teacher is quite lucrative compared to many private sector jobs, and also explains some of the reasons that our public schools are complete shit. They have the same “incentives” to work hard that the SEPTA workers do; that is, very few.
I don’t know what a particular worker “deserves” but take a look at the state budget and start asking yourself why we have to cut the state EPA, parks & rec, gifted programs, etc. when over half the budget is dedicated to keep teachers’ and state workers’ pensions funded to an adequate level. Then decide who deserves what kind of pay (including pensions and benes) our public sector workers deserve, because every dollar is coming at the expense of another public service.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Sorry, I pulled that “over half the budget” number from the deep recesses of my anal cavity. What I was thinking of this figure:
“About 60 percent of the city’s $4 billion annual budget goes to cover salaries, health benefits, and pension costs for employees. (Health benefits are another soaring cost that Nutter wants and needs to reduce.)” And pensions are by far the fastest growing portion of the amount.
From http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/20090830_Editorial__Riding_herd_on_pensions.html
November 20th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Thanks, LB! I only wish the 234 had informative pages like these (or anything, really) on their site. The national site left me wanting as well (vague support of “health care reform” – maybe their newletters are a little more informative).
Upon a brief review, I’m still looking for the use of union dues to directly subsidize the battle for single payer – as opposed to simply creating a resource page.
Barry:
I propose the same for SEPTA. I don’t think that they should never strike: I merely think that she be subject to similar limitations and should exhaust arbitration set before unbiased parties (which would behoove them to make coherent claims with some sort analysis backing such claims – and maybe garner a modicum of PR savvy) before going on strike (3 times in 11 years!).
I think that you may be glorifying the 9month job just a little. At the very least, you recognize that they work very hard in the those 9 months – much longer than 8 hours days (especially when you factor in the continued education required while on the job for continued certification) for Salaries – not wages with overtime. I can’t speak on pensions though. How would those of a teacher compare to those of a SEPTA worker? I would argue that it’s easier for a teacher to be fired than a SEPTA employee. I’m talking out of my ass here, though. I agree that both could use more incentive to do a better job.
You’re right about the expense coming from another public service. That is why I am concerned about TWU going on strike every contract cycle until they get what they want. I fear they may be milking blood from a stone. Pensions are hurting many government budgets – because they invested in games of chance rigged by Goldman Sachs (aka Obama’s or any Two-Party-Paradigm candidate’s economic cabinet). Yes, there is glut in the top levels of government offices (see Fumo / Bonusgate & Perzel / BRT patronage jobs, etc…), but until a litany of criminal investigations conclude, I fear that TWU’s victories will come at the expense of our libraries, wage taxes, property taxes, trash pickup, etc…
Have a great weekend all.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:14 am
@LB: 2.5% over 5 years correct.
@Tips: C’mon now, be fair: AD Amorosi’s columns ARE heavily edited.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:53 pm
At Tsar:
Let’s be a little more specific:
“All members of the union will get a $1,250 bonus in the first year for ratifying the agreement. The contract also calls for a 2.5 percent pay raise in the second year, and a 3 percent raise in each of the final three years.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20091120_Transport_workers_OKs_contract_with_SEPTA.html
If you don’t include the bonus, we’re talking an average a 2.3% raise PER year ( (2.5+3+3+3)/5 ). However, we must include the bonus and let’s not forget the compounding effect of applying a percentage repeatedly. So if you’re saying “over five years” you’re actually saying, in the case of someone making 40K at the time of contract who received the signing bonus, a 15.5% increase in pay “over 5 years.” ( (46,201.87 – 40,000)/40,000 )
This 15.5% increase in pay is guaranteed independent of performance (which we will likely agree is VERY poor) and external budgetary conditions. Going back to incentives – you can see how there is none if SEPTA can hold the public hostage every single contract cycle.