I'd Strike, Too, But No One Would Care

This picture has nothing to do with what I'm going to write. It's just a test to see how often Fredi reads my blog, because once he sees this picture he will want me to take it off of here right away! But it is so cute, isn't it?

My rant for the month is about striking transit workers. I support the efforts of all workers to make a decent wage and get the benefits they need. But I do not support the impending strike by the NY transit workers. These workers all make well over 10K more than I do a year, including those in unskilled jobs, such as, well, picking up the garbage on the subway. They get paid health care, sick days, vacation, holidays and pension (I do not).

My jobs are highly skilled, and I get paid near the top of my field on an hourly basis for both of them. But I pay for most of my health care, have no paid sick days or vacation days or holidays, contribute to my 401K plan with a small matching amount from my employer, and it's very unlikely I will be able to retire. The transit workers want early retirement with full benefits on top of everything else and a 9 percent raise every year. I'll be lucky if I can ever retire at all, and I think I have gotten a raise once in 11 years and it wasn't anywhere close to 9 percent.

So what is the main reason people will care when the transit workers strike and no one will care if I do? The difference is the public completely relies on them. It is going to be a disaster when they strike tonight, which I believe they will. Up until today I thought I would be able to travel to one of my jobs, which is in Manhattan right near Grand Central Station. But now the train workers where I live have announced they will strike in solidarity with the TWU, which means it would be nearly impossible for me to get to work at all unless I drive back and forth in the middle of the night or live in the office (which I may do). Wonderful.

So these people are going to take away my livelihood and hold us all hostage. By the way, I don't get paid if I don't show up to work. I believe in the workers' RIGHTS, but something is very WRONG here. By the way, it is illegal for these workers to strike, and there is a very good reason for that. Besides, I think they are well paid and have outstanding benefits, especially in the current work environment.

The original reason unions were formed was because of the horrendous way assembly line workers and other industrial type of workers were being treated. This was an important advance in human rights. But I think the current workers are spoiled and they do not understand how good they have it.

I really pray they do not strike, as it's going to negatively affect literally millions of people just in time for a very Merry Christmas.