How would a Port Authority transit stoppage affect you?

 Wow, I guess I can't get to class that day. Or work. Sucks. How are they going to have shuttles for everyone? And how would they run? My school will probably cancel classes. What's wrong with most of you bus drivers too? I'll get off the bus and say "thank you" everytime, and 9 times out of 10 I get a nasty "you're welcome". Nobody is holding a gun to your head saying you have a drive a city bus! YOU made the choice, so suck it up.

.... that post turned out to be a lot longer than I realized.  Did not want people to get annoyed with the long story.

The unions solution to decreasing retiree costs by providing incentive for those drivers to retire later is laughable because it ultimately only delays the inevitible. In the grand scheme of things, whether someone retires at 56 or 60 really doesn't make that much of a difference in regards to long-term benefit costs, because retirees are likely to live into their 70s or 80s, even 90s if lucky enough. Still having to pay benefits to someone who retired 25 years ago..along with every person who retired since that time...is what is killing the bottom line here.

I mean, I make much less than $52,000 per year, yet I can still find money to put away and invest for my retirement. Why is there this dire need to not reduce any of the pension amounts? Let the employees act fiscally responsible and put away their own money, instead of just waiting for an overly-generous pension to kick in.

 I understand that people need to make a living but I feel as though if people like myself have to pay for our own medical coverage that people who are making substantially more than I and lots of others like myself, then PAT employees should not make such a fuss over such matters. There are people who have jobs that due to the economy don't even offer benefits. Going on strike could potentially cost the businesses in the area to suffer financial losses due to employee absenteeism if they can't get to work to perform their required tasks. PAT employees should be more considerate of the fact that people such as myself depend on the buses to get where we need to.

 I feel that if the Transit Union goes on strike they will not find any sympathetic ears among the Allegheny County ridership. I make much less than $52,000/year and I pay over $200 a month for my health benefits alone. Because of the rising costs in living expenses, I no longer make enough a year to have money put into a 401(k), and I don't have a pension. I don't get cost of living raises... my last raise in July was just over 1% and I was lucky to get that. My hours are such that, if a strike or lockout does occur, ride-sharing is pretty much out of the question for me. And I have no idea how I will afford to drive to work everyday. My story is the same as many of the people who rely on public transit every day, and it's a shame that neither the Union or the Port Authority seem to be taking us into consideration. They're more worried about blaming each other for everything that's wrong with this obviously failed system.

Unions are a cancer in this country. Yes, at one time they served an important purpose, but that time has long since past.

PAT is a miserable disaster of an organization and it's primarily due to the union that it is forced to drag around. They should let PAT go bust and stop the welfare tax forced on citizens of this state that's used to subsidize the union dead weight that's killing PAT. Mass transit should be operated for profit under free market principles. There's far too much union influence in essential services in this country and they constantly hold the public (that pays their inflated salaries and benefits) hostage in the never ending demands for more while they slowly choke the life out of their host - just like a true parasite.

Yup, you sound like a true company man!! Sorry but we can't all be management, it takes the workers of America to make the economy work, check it out the proof is in the pudding our economy sucks. We at local 85 did not ask for any real increases, we only ask to keep what is ours, to provide for our families., without assistance. We in this country, the workers of America, need to react and react fast,we are in serious bad shape.

$52,000 a year plus a pension and full benefits is NOT A LIIVING WAGE.  That's an incredibly great 'wage'; people go into tremendous student debt in 'hopes' of acheiving just the salary portion which doesn't seem fair.  Not to take anything away from those who do the job, and do it well, and are appreciated, but as a tax payer that seems like an incredibly steep salary to drive a bus - in isolation the added pension which is unheard of in today's corporate world.  Not to mention, for a company that loses money every year and is subsidized.  I'm for what's fair, and this doesn't seem fair.

To the Union Folks: I sent a letter to Dan Onorato and others about the unfairness of the Unions here and urging them to stay firm.  I have read the union contract and I have a hard time feeling any sort of sympathy.  Many of us make less than the Union member and our health insurance is far more costly.  My boys don't even have health insurance.  Many of us don't have pensions.  You know what though.  We work and we work hard.  The Port Authority does not generate revenue.  It is not profitable.  In the real world, they would have went out of business long ago.  The only thing keeping them a float is the taxpayers.  So what does the Port Authority do, raise fares, add a drink tax, etc.  Taxpayers suffer and earn less due to these taxes.  So what does the Union want to do next?  Let's see.  The buses are used by a lot of people who frankly can't afford to drive into town and park every day.  If they could, they would as the buses aren't the most convenient form of transportation.  Now, the Union wants to go on strike and punish these people and the companies they work for.  Sounds Fair?  It is time for the Union to sacrifice as well.  As Lee Iaccoca told the Union at Chrysler: "You've got until morning to make a decision.  If you don't help me out . . . I'll declare bankruptcy in the morning and you'll be out of work.  You've got eight hours to make up your minds.  It's up to you." 

Union proud:

 

Yup, you sound like a true company man!! Sorry but we can't all be management, it takes the workers of America to make the economy work, check it out the proof is in the pudding our economy sucks. We at local 85 did not ask for any real increases, we only ask to keep what is ours, to provide for our families., without assistance. We in this country, the workers of America, need to react and react fast,we are in serious bad shape.

 You admit that the economy sucks but then stand by your union for asking for more money.  I dont care if you are not asking for a huge raise.  You are asking for other item that cost money. 

Crappy Economy + Union = Bankrupt Business =  No job 

Think it through and dont just blindly follow your Union heads... all they care about as well is money in their pocket. 

houndish:

As Lee Iaccoca told the Union at Chrysler: "You've got until morning to make a decision.  If you don't help me out . . . I'll declare bankruptcy in the morning and you'll be out of work.  You've got eight hours to make up your minds.  It's up to you." 

That is a great point.  Except the Union in this case does not care because they believe there jobs are safe and will never be cut.  In my opinion... if they do not accept the offer.  Close the busses.  Open it up for bid and give it to the lowest bidder. 

 What a sad day when the once proud American Union has reverted back to its Bolshevik/menshevik roots. Soon just like the Bolshevik most of us will be happy to sit on the stoop and sip cheap vodka and nibble on stale bread and a slice of aged cheese.

Stalin would be proud. Paint the rust and it all looks brand new!

I put forward that once the marxist movement collapses in a heap we all invest in bicycles, mopeds, burros, and canoes. Hey why not? It works in every other third world state.

It's high time we turn the union's and their lackey bosses over to the enforcer's in La Cosa Nostra and the Russian Mob. Things will quiet down and these guys will raise wages the old fashioned way by racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, and other vice-like activities at no cost to the taxpayer.

The PAT stoppage will have zero impact on me.

 Lots of jealous people out there.  Sorry you spent all those years in school and countless tens of thousands of dollars and make less than 40,000 a year. Get a better job. 85% of the local population could not drive a bus, pass a vehicle background check or a drug test. Unions are needed and you so called professionals out there are pathetic whiners, go apply to do the job if its so great. The Company will lose this in court. PA is not a right to work state and people should be more upset at the management who will be wasting money defending this stupid idea of theirs. All the money that PAT receives from the Feds, just protects the workers more, check out the Federal Transit Act 13c-google 13c. The workers are protected and PAT will owe millions to displaced workers. PAT needs to sit down with Onarato and listen to the unions ideas.

 It would be tough to "briefly" state one's position on this, but here goes:

First:  I think that Pennsylvania/Allegheny County should privatize PAT by selling it to the highest bidder.  That would not only generate an immediate massive amount of capital for the state/county, but would take this money losing "ball and chain" off the books, thus, lightening the tax burden of the citizens.  Additionally, since it would be privatized, PAT would generate income for the state/county in the form of taxes.  Finally, it would most likely run more effeciently and most of our citizens would find riding the bus to work a more convenient and economical option than is currently available under the struggling system and management.

Second:  When a union faces off against a business, there are always trade offs.  Sometimes in the favor of the business, and sometimes in the favor of the union.  When the union becomes more powerful than the business, and normal economics and ethical business practices are ignored in favor of satisfying a union, the power of the union becomes a detriment to all involved (Including the members of the Union over a given period of time.) due to a loss of productivity and profitability.  (Google the death of the American Steel Industry or read the headlines about Ford and GM if you need more information about overly powerful unions vs corporations.)  When a union faces off against a government entity such as PAT, the results can be disasterous.  The reason for this is that PAT bears no responsibility to ensure a profit to its shareholders.  They have an almost unlimited budget in the form of taxpayer dollars, and hold the monopoly for public transportation in our area & can therefore extort higher fares or cancel routes at a whim to meet the demands of the union. 

I recall a time in Arizona when the Transit Authority threatened to go on strike for better retirement benefits and higher wages when the governor at the time stepped up to the plate and mandated that any person who failed to show up for work during the strike would have to re-apply for their job when they returned to work.  When the strike proceeded, the state was without public transportation for exactly one day before the governor had hired truck drivers from all over the country (on a temporary basis) to drive busses.  The strike lasted exactly 2 days with the loss of public transportation for only one of them.  Several hundred union employees were replaced by non union employees who were willing to work for the prevailing wage and benefit package, fares did not increase and routes were not cut.  I don't think Governor Rendell (A Union thug at heart) would have the fortitude to do that, but I think that someone with a responsibility to the taxpayers (shareholders) needs to step up to the plate to make sure that both sides of this conflict are represented.

In answer to the original question...  The strike will probably result in either higher tax rates for wage earners and property owners or higher fares (or both).  Other than that I will simply have a tougher time finding a parking place and there will be more traffic on route to work.  Unfortunately, the people this will really affect (The riders) have no voice in this exchange.

 I'm dumbfounded by the whole situation.  In an economy where people are thrilled just to have a job, the driver's union has the audacity to be upset that they might have to pay a bit more for health insurance and may not be able to retire when they want to.  Welcome to reality, folks!  How many people have to work longer beyond their expected retirement age in order to be able to pay their bills after retirement?  A lot.  How many people have to pay more for benefits each year?  A lot.  What precludes the union-protected employees of the Port Authority from the same realities that the rest of us face?  Their own fantasy world – a world which is created and protected by their union’s leadership.

I say to Dan Onarato and the Port Authority:  Hold your ground - do not budge.  If these drivers are that self-centered and greedy to go on strike or leave their positions, then fire them and hire the thousands of people who are unemployed and would be thrilled to get $25 an hour to drive a bus.  I wouldn't release any additional money to the Port Authority until the drivers agree to an intelligent contract such as the one which is being imposed (which makes the union-rejected contract from the mediator look pretty good). 

People need to be asking themselves:  How will this affect the downtown comeback?  How will this affect emergency services (police/fire/medical) from getting to emergencies?  How will this affect the ability to drive anywhere (not just downtown) in Allegheny County?  How will this cost individuals who will have to pay extra for fuel and parking who are already having trouble making ends meet in this economy?  How will this tarnish the image of the Pittsburgh region to those outside individuals and firms who are looking to relocate here?  I don't believe you need much of an imagination to come up with a realistic view of what is to come if a work stoppage happens.

My life will be severely impacted - the extra long commute and the inability to find parking for myself and my wife will have a drastic effect on how we manage our daily lives.  Getting up at 4:30am or earlier to get into town isn't out of the question; there is nothing like a 16-hour work day when you're only credited for 8 hours.