BART and Unions dispute, any concerns? (how much, salary, taxes)

[jade408]

Originally Posted by lucillenyc

There was an NYC transit strike in 2005. I was there and it sucked.

I bet. That would be awful since such a high portion of people use transit. Here it is more limited in impact.


On an autocorrecting iDevice.

[bentobox34]

Originally Posted by AngusHsu

So fares are not necessarily the highest. It is a complete rip-off though coming from the inner suburbs into SF, say in Daly City station or Lake Merritt station into downtown SF. Those are short rides with hefty fares. You can go from Coney Island into lower Manhattan for 2.50.

Oh we're in agreement there. BART has surcharges to the straight distance based fares that artificially inflate the cost of traveling from one of the closer nearby cities into the city. In Oakland's case, it's the surcharge for crossing the Bay and in Daly City's case it is the extra charge for crossing the San Mateo County line (that county got screwed by originally opting out of the BART system and then opting back in). For trips at that short of a distance, BART may really be the most expensive urban rail system in the country.

[bmw335xi]

Dispute continues... so much for the "only 10 minutes to downtown SF from Oakland" speal... hopefully this generates more opposition to unions.

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Dispute continues... so much for the "only 10 minutes to downtown SF from Oakland" speal...

Great, now that you said that, Muni is probably gonna strike.

Also it's "spiel," bubbe.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Great, now that you said that, Muni is probably gonna strike.

Also it's "spiel," bubbe.

I'm glad you enjoy the strike! *thumbs up*

[jade408]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Dispute continues... so much for the "only 10 minutes to downtown SF from Oakland" speal... hopefully this generates more opposition to unions.

There are obstacles to speedy travel all the time. BART, when running is pretty in time. Muni, strike or no strike is pretty delayed half of the time. If you can't walk to work, BART is the most consistent alternative. Traffic happens on the streets and freeways frequently enough to make travel unpredictable.


On an autocorrecting iDevice.

[KenyasWorld]

The media is making it out as if BART workers are greedy. It's not just about the money. They want bullet proof windows and more lights in the tunnels for their safety. BART is not willing to give them these things even though they are constantly assaulted. Also, BART employees haven't had a raise in 5yrs and they are not going to give them raises. The cost of living in the Bay area is constantly on the rise. They should be receiving pay raises just as minimum wage is raised and others receive annual raises.

Note: BART police have reported more than 2,400 serious crimes at just five stations in the last three years, but they are refusing to protect their workers with bullet proof glass.

Read more: BART Strike: Another Instance of Media Portraying Workers as Greedy | The Nation BART Strike: Another Instance of Media Portraying Workers as Greedy | The Nation
Follow us: @thenation on Twitter | TheNationMagazine on Facebook

[jade408]

No one is disputing that BART workers have a right to negotiate. But it is difficult for people to be sympathetic to your cause if you impact lots of other people. For example, AC transit has issues as well. But their workers are still working right now.

Just for some facts. In my 20 year working career, I received a cost of living wage increase once, in college.

Annual raises? Never, just possible bonuses based on company performance. These are highly variable, and no guarantee.

I have never had a health insurance plan that covers unlimited dependents. I actually pay more than $92 for just myself. The last time I paid under $100 for insurance a month for myself was around the year 2000. I currently pay $120. Just health care, no vision or anything else.

As for retirement? Over the last 10 years, I have had 3 years of an employer contributed retirement plan. For 5 of the last 10, I haven't even had access to a pre-tax retirement option, since the companies I worked for could not afford to offer that benefit until recently. So for the bulk of my prime, easy retirement savings years, it hasn't been an option. Other than my own contributions to a Roth IRA. I am way behind where I hoped to be at this age for retirement savings.

From my chair, things look better than many people in the private sector over at BART.

[sav858]

BART gets a better deal than a lot of other public agencies and is asking for more than other labor groups are, I really have no sympathy for them.

[bmw335xi]

I actually believe government employees should NOT have the right to go on strike because their employer is the government which is funded by us. It's completely different if a union for a private company wants to go on strike.