Nope, this isn’t about the Phillies recent loss to the NY Yankees in the World Series. That one is easy to explain. Pitching. If you can’t rely on your bullpen (and you’re not putting up 8 runs minimum a game), it’s a wrap.
Instead, this blog post is about the SEPTA strike. It’s prompted by my plantar fascitis, which was aggravated by walking an additional couple of miles each day due to the strike. Here are some observations and critiques I’ve had during my strolls, as we enter week 2 of the strike.
- I get the blue collar, bring down the establishment, working class union thing, but the establishment is driving to work or riding Regional Rail (which is not on strike), and the SEPTA establishment in particular still has a job. This strike hurts the working class people the most (ie, YOU and your wives/husbands/community members), and the school kids, like the one who told me yesterday that she hadn’t been to school all week because she had no way to get there. Loss.
- SEPTA workers want an independent audit of their pensions. Great. That’s nothing to strike over, however. For the sake of the people, you concede that for now, and get what you can on the other terms. If you feel like the pension books are out of wack in a couple of months, you file a grievance for an audit. This is not the time to play “we’ve got ‘em by the balls… let’s get everything we asked for.” Loss.
- With a slumping economy, Philly already raising sales taxes, and everybody paying more into their pensions and healthcare, NOBODY’s getting what they want these days. If you’re going to strike over these things, you may as well be prepared to quit, then add to the 10.2% unemployment and compete for nonexistent jobs with worse benefits. Loss.
- I’m pretty sure that when you’re on strike, you don’t get paid. I’m also pretty sure that most bus and trolley drivers would like to get paid on a regular basis, and can’t really afford to miss 7 or more days income. Loss.
- No buses, subways, and trolleys, means more cars. This minor surge probably won’t lower gas prices in the area, but it will produce more toxins. Loss.
- The longer this drags, the more embarrassing this is for the city. There’re aren’t many ways to spin a win out of this. Loss.
- At the end of the day – whether it’s day 8, day 48, or day 108 – a contract will get signed that really won’t vary much from the contract that could be signed right now. There aren’t a lot of options here, so all sides need to stop pretending and posturing, and get it done. And in the future, please keep this fact in mind and do not let things get to this point. It’s pretty much just one big childish loss.
- My left foot really hurts. I’ve decided to rest with it elevated today. This means that I can’t go to the grocery store today, so we’ll be making due on whatever we have in the freezer. But hopefully by resting up today I’ll be able to carry my 4 month old and his 3 year old brother to daycare tomorrow (12 blocks away) then make the additional trek to Regional Rail, then to my job. This walk, I’ve found, works out better than losing 3 hours trying to drive through the massive traffic, only to have to search for free parking a mile away from my job. Loss.
- I get the sense that this is going to play out like a hunger strike, and both sides have an ample supply of crackers and water. Now that the Phillies are all at their vacation homes, there’s no sense of urgency. Just a few million people like me who need to get to work and school everyday, that’s all. This is a stubborn city, full of stubborn people. (This is the THIRD strike I’ve experienced here; despite having their own past strikes, this is another reason for NY to laugh at us. THREE strikes in a little over a decade is pretty ridiculous). Until somebody gives, we’ll all just keep on losing. I guess that’s what both sides are counting on, which speaks to the said state of affairs here. The people who are supposed to be the ones served by the public officials and who pay one of the highest transit fares in the country should not have to pay further by being pawns in what really should be a game of checkers. Please cut the losses and sign the deal.
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