tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post205752594272009378..comments2023-11-05T04:03:35.548-08:00Comments on BART Musings: BART Unions Facts and Figuresbartmusingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16327844700926513435noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post-77008024243220949512009-07-07T20:20:38.553-07:002009-07-07T20:20:38.553-07:00At one time unions had their place, however now th...At one time unions had their place, however now they are generally greedy, obsolete organizations that look out for themselves, not they workers they supposedly represent, and certainly not the busineses those workers work for. Unions like those at BART will drive us all into the ground. BART should propose a contract based on today's business practices, not some archaic crap from decades ago. Unions won't go for business as it is today? Fire them and hire workers who will....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post-6182622999696156352009-07-06T12:46:54.706-07:002009-07-06T12:46:54.706-07:00In my humble opinion management is not being tough...In my humble opinion management is not being tough enough. BART employees are one of the highest paid transit workers in the country and they are the ones who have taken an inch and created a mile of inequities. Their benefits program is unheard of in both the private and public sector and they want more.<br /><br />It is the Union that is trying turning up the hard line with riders/commuter predicting gridlock. With fares at an all time high, poor cleaning conditions of the cars, poor customer service they are moving to become one of the worst transit providers. I have ridden both the New York MTA Subway and DC Metro and both run significantly better than BART. So the Union is asking for more money for poorer service that has progressed over the years.<br /><br />I do not think that it is unfair for employees to pay for their part of the PERS contribution. This would be a good start to negotiating a fair contract for tax payers and riders. I also believe that it would be fare for the employee to pay 30-40 percent of their health benefits. Finally, BART needs to do a salary survey and compare job to the private sector. A whole host of jobs would find significant reductions in salary, some may even find an increase.<br /><br />Please before siding with a Union try to look at the issue as a tax payer that is being asked to pay more at every level.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post-60474198338569632512009-07-04T22:50:09.697-07:002009-07-04T22:50:09.697-07:00Yes, this is definitely one-sided. I welcome any ...Yes, this is definitely one-sided. I welcome any information that lays out the unions' positions. While I'm certainly not a journalist (I'm simply a commuter who chronicles her good and bad experiences on BART on a blog), I do try to be objective when it comes to topics that aren't based on my own experiences. So, I definitely want to hear both sides of the story!bartmusingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16327844700926513435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post-78748663353081913942009-07-04T11:55:49.742-07:002009-07-04T11:55:49.742-07:00this isn't a reporting website, it's just ...this isn't a reporting website, it's just random thoughts on bart. if you want news reporting, goto SFGate. <br /><br />as for unions, i guess they really don't want to admit to the fact that it doesn't take 4 people to change 1 light bulb.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347513.post-89594840031083137252009-07-04T06:00:32.110-07:002009-07-04T06:00:32.110-07:00This is interesting, but a little one-sided. Is t...This is interesting, but a little one-sided. Is there really NOTHING negative on the side of BART management? In my experience being in a union (not BART, a different one) myself and from various discussions with union members over the years, a major reason that unions don't want to make any concessions is that they've had the experience in the past of being totally screwed over when they do (as well as management that tends to be extremely shady and do everything it can to get around a contract that isn't watertight). Now, the "give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile" attitude isn't necessarily the most productive either, but it is understandable when a group has been repeatedly screwed with by management and this is the only way to get a modicum of control over the situation. I don't know if this is the case with BART never having worked in that union or known someone in it before, but it would be nice to see a little more of both sides of the reporting rather than just condemning one side over the other.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09287787218950604688noreply@blogger.com