LA transit strike pits blue-collar elite against working poor
Reuters reports: “Strike in Los Angeles Halts Public Buses, Trains.”
“Los Angeles bus mechanics went on strike early on Tuesday halting the city’s public buses in a move that also threatens to cripple rail services and strand up to 500,000 passengers.”
“In a city dominated by cars, roughly 500,000 people rely on MTA buses and trains, Los Angeles officials said. Most of the passengers are the working poor whose income averages around $15,000 a year, making cars difficult to afford.”
“The main sticking point is a health insurance trust fund used by the union to buy health care benefits for its members. Union officials want the MTA to increase its $16.8 million contribution to the fund. The MTA has accused the union of mismanaging the fund and demanded greater control over how the money is spent before agreeing to raise its contribution.”
Haven’t seen the old contract, but my guess is the mechanics earn many time what the average transit passenger earns. Shame the least of them suffers most.
Are there a lot of strikes this year, or am I just paying closer attention?
Notice the common theme–health care costs? Employers are bargaining hard over this, perhaps secretly hoping strikes will bring the political attention over health care costs to a head (finally).
