Sick Time
Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit magazine editor
What do the NFL and AC Transit have in common? Neither may have service this weekend.
Most NFL teams open training camps this weekend. Players are starting to filter into their respective camps and prepare for another season of professional football. That is with the exception of the first round of this year’s draft class. As it stands now (Thursday afternoon), only three first round draft picks have signed contracts. The remaining picks are all waiting on the number one pick, Sam Bradford, to sign with St. Louis so they can base their contracts off his.
AC Transit is facing its own group of first round draft hold outs. When contract negotiations broke down with the union representing its operators and mechanics, AC Transit’s board imposed a contract.
I’m not going to get into the middle of this fight. Each side has good reason for following it’s convictions. I don’t have a problem with sticking up for what you believe in. What I do have a problem with is how the AC Transit union members are going about demonstrating their disapproval.
Rather than calling a strike, there have been numerous union members “calling in sick” and not showing up for work. AC Transit has had to cut service already and is considering ending weekend service for the time being.
This “sick out” isn’t unheard of, but it’s bad business. Much like when an NFL player holds out for more money, this does nothing but hurt the people who value the service the most.
The NFL is facing a strike and lock out next season. Will it happen? I can’t say, but I can get behind players banding together and sticking up for their convictions. But what would you say if this season players just randomly called in sick and miss games. If games had to be forfeited because your team members didn’t show up for work.
That’s what the union is doing here. And frankly that doesn’t do anyone any good. The union looks bad. The agency looks bad. And transit itself looks bad.
You don’t like the contract? Fine. Strike and be done with it. This game of hide-and-go-to-work needs to end before the only thing gained by either side is more room on the buses after riders depart for good.
Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Friday. For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.
Fred
July 30th, 2010 at 10:27 am
AC Transit is Alameda Transit…right? It would be helpful to refer to it that way initially and then go with the acronym or abbreviated version after that. Additionally, when doing regular stories it would also be most helpful to “dateline” your articles at the top instead of assuming that your readership knows the geographical area of the story. Other than that I continue to enjoy and learn much from what you do. Many thanks.
Ted Vigodsky
Editor/Co-ordinator
http://atlantasidestreets.com
July 30th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I agree with this article. If you dont’t like something, have the cojones to stand up and say so. Many people ‘hide’ behind unions because they are not man or woman enough to stand up on their own.
In these times, unions provide hiding places for the sick, weak, and incompetent. Their useful time has passed. They just cost money and add very little if any value.
Roberto