We Need A Plan

The November union meeting showed a growing anger toward Metro as well as a criticism of union leadership. There was discussion about the strategy of the union to fight for our contract. The union’s response is that Democrats won a number of positions in the November election, and they will help our contract dispute.

Politicians cannot be trusted to help us with our contract.. Vincent Gray and Adrian Fenty both approved expansion of the Circulator. Their representatives on the Metro board voted to appeal our arbitrated contract, saying that the contract was too favorable for us. Martin O’Malley is considering wage freezes and layoffs for thousands of state employees. Are these the actions of people we should rely on?

Time and time again, our union dues go to politicians who sell us out. We have used this strategy of campaign contributions for empty promises for 30 years, and our contracts have slowly gotten worse.

Transit jobs are some of the last strong union jobs in this country, and the bosses are trying to break us. Attacks on workers’ wages and pensions have happened in many private sector jobs, like the auto industry and manufacturing. Workers in a General Motors factory used to make $25/hour. New hires make $14/hour, at top pay! This trend is now spreading to teachers and government workers. Transit is next on the chopping block.

In Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and elsewhere, workers face higher health insurance, lower wages, and reduced pensions. The new AC Transit (Oakland California area) contract includes a three year wage freeze and an increase of health insurance that amounts a 6% cut in pay. San Francisco just repealed the clause in the City Charter which guaranteed Muni drivers the second highest pay in the country.

This is not about a dollar here or a dollar there. This is about our job: our way of life, and our children’s way of life. Metro is out to take all that has been fought for away from us. The union leaderships ‘response to these attacks is to spread fear among the membership. If we do not fight, we will lose. If we say united, we can win. In any fight with the bosses, there are risks. To advance we must take these risks. If we stay united, we will minimize the risks and move forward. For more info email: movingforward689@yahoo.com.

Three Years Without A Pay Raise

Why has there not been a general pay raise since December of 2007? Why are we still without a new contract two years after our last contract expired?

Two reasons: Metro feels they can get away with it and our union leadership is letting them. Let us look at this more closely. In contract negotiations during 2009, the General Manager asked the union to refinance the losses the pension fund had suffered in the 2008 crash of the stock market. Many workers said at that time, this should not be done unless it was part of a contract settlement. The leadership ignored this advice and gave Metro what they wanted, saving them millions of dollars in the short run.

When the arbitration award came out in November 2009, Metro sensed weakness in the union and decided they could challenge the award, even though most aspects of the award favored Metro. Initially the union said they also were going to challenge the implementation of the award, but they soon backed off and accepted the few crumbs Metro tossed our way.

In March 2009, a hearing was held in Federal Court to review Metro’s challenge. The judge told Metro and the union that because of the Wolfe bill, the ground rules for contract arbitration had changed. He said any wage increase or the preservation of our current pension benefits had to be shown to be affordable to the local governments that fund Metro. He instructed the arbitration panel to reconvene and give a detailed analysis as to the affordability of the award. He also asked if the union was challenging any aspects of the award. The union said no. He then said Metro could put the changes in health care cost into effect.

On August 10, another hearing was held. Despite the union’s arguments, the judge maintained that the award did not adequately analyze the affordability of the wage increase and the maintenance of the current pension benefits. He gave the parties 30 days to submit new briefs on these issues, and then 15 more days to rebut them. After that he will begin to study the issues and write his opinion. The union then asked to challenge the health insurance increases. The judge said it was too late to do this.

What will happen next? In about three months, the judge will either set aside the award, i.e. deny us our pay raise, and order new negotiations which will be limited to a pay raise and Metro’s request to reduce the costs of our pensions or he can order the award to be put into effect, i.e. we will get our raises and our pension benefits will stay the same. Of course Metro will have the option of appealing this.

The union leadership has a wait and see attitude. They are relying on the courts, lawyers, and politicians to protect our interests. This is a losing strategy. All across the country we are seeing workers lose their jobs and their homes. Unions are being destroyed, immigrants are being attacked and racism is on the rise. The system of capitalism is in crisis and the bosses are trying to solve their problems on our backs.

At Metro we can see the particulars of this attack in unsafe working conditions, speed up, increased discipline and layoffs. The riding public is also under attack as fares go through the roof. The leadership of the union has given up the real fight. Rank and file workers must begin to mobilize the membership, build an alliance with the riding public and provide leadership in this fight. Thirty two years ago Metro launched a blatant attack on our wages. We took to the streets then. We might have to do it again.