[justizin]

Union mechanics update the equipment, and BART has been offering pay increases, which they also admit are not increases, preferentially to safety improvements.

For instance, the lighting situation in the tunnels is unacceptable and has likely been involved in at least one worker death.

BART workers have important jobs, evidenced by the pain we're experiencing as a region without them. That's what strikes are about.

Would you appreciate your salary negotiation going something like this:

  "Hey, four years ago when the company and our customers were struggling, I accepted a pay freeze to cover essential costs to keep us afloat."

  "Thanks for that.  We'd like you to start covering some of the costs of your benefits, though we're actually doing a good bit better.  We're going to give you a raise that amounts to half of inflation in the most optimistic of light, and that will cover the new costs we're asking you to cover.  We're going to do this so that we can go to the press and say that we offered you a raise, you're a bunch of ungrateful fucks, and look at how you've fucked all of the poor riders.  Also, on top of that, all of the things you've asked us to purchase for the system that would increase worker safety are rejected or deferred - we don't think that should be a part of your negotiation, even if you're saying that you might be willing to accept the pay we're offering if we budged a bit more on these costs.  Do you accept?"

http://www.keepbartrunning.com/an_open_letter_to_the_communi...

[aspensmonster]

I'm an outsider to west coast city politics, but I suspect it's the same all over: the details of why the public workers are striking won't matter. Previous sacrifices and safety concerns be damned. All the public at large will hear thanks to this salary data is that the public worker is doing substantially better than they are in terms of pay and benefits, and likely for less time and effort. Of course, the majority of people --who labour under private entities that regard salaries as costs to be minimized-- could never expect such treatment. And if they can't get it then they sure as hell won't stand for someone else getting it on their taxpayer dime.

It's classic divide and conquer class stratification, and you don't even have to do the agitating yourself.

[incision]

*>"I'm an outsider to west coast city politics, but I suspect it's the same all over: the details of why the public workers are striking won't matter."

Yep.

I can personally confirm that things of this sort play out precisely the same way among east coast equivalents.

[eightyone]

I couldn't agree more. BART is way better at PR than the unions and have littered the media with facts to fit their narrative.

[rossjudson]

Do you understand why people get pissed off when they read the salary tables? The people riding the trains don't have massive employer contributions to their pensions -- or even have pensions. They don't get paid overtime -- they just work unpaid. Stagnant wages? How have wages changed in the area generally, relative to the cost of living?

If you want the upside of big jumps in salary, you should have to take on some of the risks (like losing your job and medical insurance, or your business).

Do you ever wonder if there's someone else who would be willing to do the job you are doing for less?

Would you appreciate your salary negotiation going like this:

"I want 20% increase over four years."

"No. We're laying off 20% of the staff because revenue is down. We might hire you back as a part-timer later, without health insurance or benefits."

[junco]

Sounds like people working in terrible conditions like that could benefit from forming a union. But they'd rather pull everybody down to their level rather than work to bring their own working situation up to something that isn't absolutely fucking abysmal (unpaid overtime (!), no cost-of-living adjustments -- why should any company be allowed to treat their employees that way?)

[rossjudson]

Those "people working in terrible conditions" don't have the ability to threaten everyone around them, like your transit workers do. They'd rather push everybody down, rather than recognize that they have the same options available to everyone who wants an increase in pay. Go find someone willing to pay you more.

[bobo13579]

How would increasing the salaries of $100,000+ union workers improve safety conditions?

[eightyone]

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy82ntr8HYI

[CoffeeDregs]

Word to the wise: don't waste your time on the video. The interviewer ("laborvideo") coaches the interviewees through their interviews. When they lose steam or wander off script, he helpfully coaches them back on topic with dramatic, inflammatory statements/questions.

Oh, by the way, Fox News' coverage of the strike is also poor. News at 11!