This week, the San Francisco Bay Area is being held hostage with a labor strike of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.
Approximately 400,000 daily users of the BART system are forced to find other means of transportation.
The crux of the problem?
The union representing the BART Employees want a 4% annual raise for the next 5 years plus Cost of Living Adjustments plus no increase in their contribution towards their health care (which currently is $92 a month for an entire family) and continued no contribution towards their pension program (which other public sector employees must contribute to).
There are times where labor unions are necessary due to managements unfortunate history of abuse. So this is not a blast towards unions in general. It's directed towards this particular strike at this time.
Millions who are about to become homeless because their unemployment benefits are about to run out. Thousands who are forced to take jobs which makes them under-employed.
Many with little or no health care and many with no such thing as a pension program.
To not understand that having a fairly low cost health program, a pension program and make on average about $30 an hour..... (I'll hold my colorful metaphor reply).
Remember... there was a union called PATCO in the early 1980's. Because certain Federal Government jobs had a "No Strike" clause - due to the importance and impact of their jobs on the welfare of the citizens.... perhaps it is time for State and Local governments enact legislation to be able to do the same as Ronald Reagan.... "you forfeit your employment".
With the state of the nation being what it is, you will easily have hundreds if not thousands of qualified people ready to take those jobs from those who don't seem to understand or care about the negative impact they are doing to the masses.
Greed comes in many forms and granted, the greed from the 1% is outrageous. What's the difference here. The 99% will end up paying for what will be some sort of settlement.
End of Rant
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