Lessons from the Transit Strike

About time I got around to blogging about the strike. I lived through all 3 days of it, and it really didn't bother me. I think striking was a bad tactic on the union's part; the union didn't improve its position at all, and even though the Taylor law is ridiculous - allow for unions but make it illegal for them to strike? - the union is legally liable for millions of dollars. That said, I supported the strike and I think it was justified because of the MTA's ridiculous terms - not that the TWU's terms weren't a little ridiculous too, but the difference is one of magnitudes - and shitty treatment of the TWU.

Even though a majority of New Yorkers supported the strike, I never got a chance to speak to any of them - it's just the parts of town I live and work in. Instead, most people complained about the lack of service and blamed the workers for walking out. This was reinforced by the media, who tacked on "illegal" before "strike" with every breath they took. Even after I brought most of them around to seeing that the MTA bore a large share of the responsibility, they usually fired back with "I can't sympathize with the TWU because they're fighting for a full pension and benefits that I don't get. Why should they get those benefits and not me?"

What bothered me was that everyone's irritation with the TWU was being misdirected. It was more of a frustration with the general state of healthcare and retirement plans in this country, and jealousy at the TWU for having something most people don't.

Of course people are frustrated. Premiums have been going up and up for decreasing benefits and what were once believed to be safe retirements and pensions have disappeared. But I think it's wrong that people blame the TWU for their actions. Instead, they should be blaming the government for allowing this to happen. Healthcare and a safe retirement are things that the government can and should guarantee for every person in this country. It is time that we made a move to universal healthcare and put an end to the system in which the rich can afford and own everybody else who can't.

It's simple: eliminate the middleman and negotiate a plan between suppliers of healthcare - doctors, not insurance companies - and recipients of healthcare - everyday people. Such a plan would have to be funded by tax dollars, which is why it is necessary that people negotiate with doctors in order to reach a reasonable compromise as to what services will be offered for what prices. This takes money out of a volatile market and puts it in a safe place, for which services will be guaranteed. Corporations would rejoice at such a plan as it would allow them to dump their pensions, which are weighing them down, and make them financially more attractive - cough, GM - again. For example, Toyota was thinking of opening a factory in the U.S., but eventually decided on Canada because although taxes were lower here, they would have had to assume healthcare costs for all their workers. All those costs don't exist in Canada.

We cannot allow those in power to divert our frustration from where it is due. Fighting the TWU over something that everyone should be entitled to will keep this country divided, fighting over scraps and in a generally worsening condition. People need to take their heads out of the ground, look around them and consider everyone else's situations. The problem is not "why does the TWU get to have these benefits and I don't?" The problem is "why does every American not have these benefits?" The solution is a call for universal healthcare.