Gov. Rendell on SEPTA Strike

[IceTreyMan]

Most of you on here shooting off your mouths about hiring ";scab" workers have no clue what you're saying. It takes skill and training to operate a bus trolley or train.Greyhound hired a bunch of scabs back in 1990. Daily bus accidents and one flipped over on the highway. One female passenger even had to drive the bus to NYC because the driver was so terrible at driving it. GH was once the best paid in the country and now is one of the worse. Look at how raggedy GH now is. Low budget drivers!

[IceTreyMan]

Any what qualifies any of you to determine how much someone gets paid? The average sports figure makes more than the average brain surgeon. That's life! Instead of being angry that people actually want to fight to protect their families from poverty wages, why don't some of you hating "crabs in a barrell" do something to improve your living standard?

[phybergod]

TWU = Totally Worthless and Underqualified

[phybergod]

I hate Rendell, but this was the correct move here. The greedy worthless union continued to make ridiculous demands even after agreements with septa management had already been made. When that happened several times, and the union returned to work, Rendell said "that's it" if you don't go back to work, I'm taking the 7 million dollars in state funding with me. And what do you know?? The union was back to work within 30 hours.

[RedPolarBearRanger]

I'm finally glad its over now since 2 minutes ago SEPTA began restoring buses, trolleys and the subways to the city and frontier divisions.

[jusblaze99]

Septa drivers/ booth workers can kiss my ass... THEY FUCKING SUCK, and if you live in philly like I do, YOU KNOW I AM RIGHT...

Typical Septa transaction-

Me- Hello I would like to purchase a November transpass....

Septa guy- WE SOLD OUT, COME BACK AT MIDNIGHT

Me- but it's the first of the month how.....

Septa guy- I SAID WE SOLD OUT, GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACK AND ASK FOR WILLY....

Me- .....wtf

FUCK SEPTA ppl

[rhare06]

Is this ment to be racist?

[jusblaze99]

dude im 100% black so.... no

[IceTreyMan]

SEPTA drivers have thousands of lives in their hands every day and should be paid accordingly. I ride the el and the buses every day. I want someone that has my life in his or her hands to be very well compensated. To all of you who complain about how little you make, and how much they make, why not apply with SEPTA? They're always hiring, that is to those that can pass the exams to get in, and those that can pass the drug test.

[phybergod]

IceTreyMan... do you just want them well compensated or do you want them well qualified? These lazy losers rarely adhere to common traffic laws. Spend 10 minutes on any busy philly intersection. You are sure to count 5 buses run red lights in that time.

[IceTreyMan]

Well I ride with SEPTA daily to work, and I find that at least 80% of the operators are professional and courteous. They transport me and my loved ones safetly everyday.I actually think they deserve more than what they get. Not for driving so much, but for putting up with the type of ignorance of the people on these message boards. If these folks feel that they can do better, by all means, go apply. They'll have to give up the marijuana and drugs first. That eliminates most of the applicants.

[rhare06]

Just because someone has it alittle better than you doesnt mean the other person doest deserve what they get.

Having a good pension and a good retirement are not luxuries.

Union workers get paid more because they are in a union ... if you want better wages and benefits join a union or start a campaign in your workplace.

Solidarity FOREVER!

Go TWU LOCAL 247!!!

[phybergod]

TWU = Totally Worthless and Unqualified. I hope one of your buses or trains runs your worthless ass over! Die greedy scumbag

[rhare06]

So I should die because I support solidarity with my union brothers and sisters??

[sophiavuong1985]

Septa Wake up !!!

[mandeewh0re]

Philadelphia Police officers starting salary is $41,151.00 a year, they pay for their healthcare (depending on which plan they choose), though the amount they pay is very low. They risk their lives everyday to keep the citizens of our city safe. According to SEPTA, bus operators earn on average 40,331.20/yr. SEPTA pays about $1,300 per month, per employee for medical, prescription, dental and vision. Employees pay 1 percent of their pay to their healthcare. What more do they want???

[dsourn]

even though i was raised in this city. i have no sympathy for the city at all. they must of knew it was coming and waited until the very last end. i for one stop riding septa like what age 16 but yea all my life that was how the city was, last minute planing.

[mandeewh0re]

You're absolutely right, we were warned they might strike. Then when the deadline for the strike, which was saturday, came we were told that the union has decidd against a strike.. then the following tuesday at 3AM they decided, hey .. we're not going to work tomorrow.. so how exactly were we supposed to think ahead? I got a call at 5:30 in the morning as I was leaving for my bus and was told septa was on strike, I had to walk to the train which was about a half hour walk in the cold at 5:30am..

[shadowpirate100]

This is unbelievable. Who in their right mind would strike in this economy? Septa should just call their bluff and start train drivers and use temp workers for the stalls or upgrade the ticket machines. They had a nice contract lined up with Rendell's help and then Willie started acting like a spoiled brat saying he can't work with so in so. He will wreck it for the union since he doesn't know whats good for them.

[zenrei]

You're confusing the union with Septa, the aren't one in the same.

Septa is the company that has the vehicles, etc, TWU is the union of workers.

TWU are the greedy bastards.

[zenrei]

(that was towards BriDirt, btw)

[brsnive]

@zenrei ahahha exactly. I dont know if u are familiar with the system, but there is no wayyyy that SEPTA puts money into that system, its not modernized at all and the rolling stock for those trains average 30-40 years old. its a horrible system

[phybergod]

I agree the system is way out of date (it sucks actually). But part of the reason is because SEPTA has to pay these greedy, good for nothing, union employee. The fact that every union employee will now get about $1000/month medical plan paid for in full by SEPTA is ludicrous. The fact that bus drivers are garaunteed raises is madness. SEPTA has a hard time re-investing into its system because its union think that all of the profit should go to them.

[IceTreyMan]

Phybergod, not once during this negotiation did SEPTA claim that it didn't have the money to pay these guys. Every mass transit agency received millions from the stimulus package and the workers rightfully want their fair share. I don't see where SEPTA is out of date. Coming from South Jersey where most of the service stops by 9 or 10 ( even worse in Delaware) I find SEPTA more efficient that any in the area, except MTA in New York.

[BriDirt]

Why dont they just hire someone else? Its not too hard to drive a bus. Ill do it for 20% less and no healthcare in a second.

[sophiavuong1985]

its not easy like you think

[BriDirt]

overpaid and underworked with a great pension plan is no means for a strike. I'm just saying, why not hire others to do the job for less?

[sophiavuong1985]

if they wanted to hire others to do for less, it might took a long time cause the buses, trolley, and the train are not easy to drive, it takes time to train, etc

[sophiavuong1985]

anyway i hope the union get back to work soon, i need a train to get to school. cant stand it anymore

[amtrak50]

Who the HELL would call a strike in this current economic climate, my local transit operator Metro is raising fares, cutting service, and laying workers off. You would half to be a fool to make transit workers strike now and a even bigger fool to do this to Septa.

-BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE- by

IMPROVING MASS TRANSIT  &

BUILDING HIGH SPEED RAIL

[northphillydl]

My name is Dee Lamour I have lived and work in Philadelphia, PA for the last 15 years. In which Ive used Septa to get from home to work. At this time I can barely do that. Each week I pay for a weekly transpass. Some times dealing with service that isnt always good. Septa is on strike and every body knows that Septa employees are some of the most well pay paid people in Philadelphia. So, Do I feel

[northphillydl]

sorry for them, Hell NO! I am now unemployed and looking for employment. And there are lots of Septa customers just like me. This was not the time to do this to the citizens of Philadelphia, because we are the ones that are paying. What we need in this city is another means of public transportation. No union or Service should have the power to shut a city down like this.

[yep11111111]

I can't get to school because of these greedy union pricks. I actually feel sorry for Septa. I can't believe I said that.

[BriDirt]

So do you feel sorry for them or do you think they are greedy union pricks?

[yep11111111]

I feel sorry for Septa, fuck the union pricks!

[phybergod]

We need to bust this union.  These dumbasses need to be taught a lesson

[Microlithic]

phybergod, are you a non-union Septa employee? I'm asking because you speak of union busting. My friends from Philadelphia told me that every contract year either the TWU threatens to strike or goes on strike. Philadelphians shouldn't get upset when Septa strikes occur, because every four years the writing is on the wall. Septa service is expensive and shitty. The nasty Philadelphian hillybilly passengers are shitty. Your best bet in Philadelphia is a car.

[phybergod]

Nope. I'm a Computer Engineer (with a car) in center city. And you are correct, every contract year without fail, these worthless goons screw us all. The traffic here was gridlock during the strike (complete with cops on every corner). These greedy boarderline retarded pricks should all be shot.