New Jersey Transit Threatening to Strike

fureverywhere

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
http://www.cbs8.com/story/31436185/nj-transit-no-agreement-shutdown-prep-could-start-friday

I suppose if you don't live tri-state ( NJ, NY, CT) this doesn't seem like a big whoop perhaps. But around here this news is huge. I'd say almost 50% of people in our town alone use NJT daily. It's predicted the strike could start Sunday if negotiations fail. Monday morning and the suits will be rioting. I'm sure both sides are holding their cards knowing what's at stake.
 

I read through the CBS article, and was amazed at the prices people are paying to commute in/out of NYC....$500 a month for a rail pass, and even more than that for tolls if they drive...and then the drivers probably pay even more for parking. Wages must be substantially higher in that corridor...or the people are barely getting by.
 
That's what people do...living in the city is out of reach for all but the very lucky. So you move to a Jersey suburb, great schools and moderately affordable homes...of course the taxes are obscene. But then as long as you're close to a station or park and ride...you can get to work in under a hour. Guess their salary makes up for the commute cost.
 

It's a different lifestyle...both in the NYC to Boston corridor, and the Los Angeles/San Francisco areas of California. People often earn higher wages in those areas, but it costs them a fortune to live there...so at the end of the month, they are probably no better off, money wise, than anyone else.
 
I used to commute from Maryland to Washington to work -- over an hour door to door one way. Safe places to live in Washington were very expensive, even back then, but you couldn't make decent money in Maryland. The whole thing wasn't worth the hassle -- I sure wouldn't do it again, even if I were young.
 
A big government agency with union represented employees what could possibly go wrong or be affordable.

I'm an ex union member so I advocate and understand the right to strike etc but as a rate and/or tax payer what I see going on with public transportation is ridiculous. Every time the local public transit gets money federal or state they have spent almost half on cosmetics like remodeling train stops, not because they're leaking or falling apart but cosmetics like expensive trim, different looking roof etc. Then just to pick up trash on the rails it's a 5 man crew that seem to do nothing but walk up and down the rails in their florescent vests and hard hats-I have never seen a full bag. The union has also fought to keep misc job or fought automation and sub contracting. One year the union had issues in a contract that wanted mandatory 100% prescription coverage including optional type drugs like ******. To top it off, if these public transportation systems want riders they have to make it affordable, at 500$ a month that covers a lot of gas, tolls and parking. Public transportation should be the cheaper alternative. Where the heck does that $300-$500 a month go in passes & fares.
 
I agree there's something fishy about allocation of funds. They had a bunch of trains going off track last year. I think in one case it was the same corridor twice. You know the worker bees aren't seeing that money. I'm confused though about headlines, did they resolve it yet or not?
 
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