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This just in… Unions to walk off * Kevin Burns drops out *

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Illinois

*** 12:01 pm *** The Tribune reports on some unsettling news…

Mass transit in the Chicago area would screech to a halt from Sunday night through Monday if all goes according to plan in a one-day “job action” that CTA labor unions have approved, union officials said today.

The threatened walk-off, which union leaders insist is not a strike, aims to send the strongest message yet the governor and lawmakers in Springfield that the deadlock over transit funding must end now, according to the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents CTA bus drivers, train operators and other employees.

If successful, the shutdown of all CTA bus and rail service for 24 hours would paralyze downtown Chicago and overwhelm transportation across the region. The CTA serves 40 suburbs.

The union’s ultimate goal is to shut down all CTA, Metra and Pace operations to demonstrate the need for more transit funding and to restore balance to union pension funds and health care plans. But such a wide-spread walkout would require the cooperation of 19 unions at the three transit properties in the Regional Transportation Authority system.

* Don’t forget to purchase tickets here for the December 16th performance of “No-El, Or How the Blagojegrinch Stole Christmas” - Our Capitol Fax holiday party. I do have some extra tickets if you need them.

* 12:29 pm - Rod Blagojevich… Hero?

…and I dare say that my life was saved by our own Governor Rod Blagojevich when he stopped me from accidentally taking a backward step off the roof of the Marion Civic Center.

[H/T: 11th Hour]

* 1:01 pm - Congrats to Rep. Eddie Sullivan on the birth of his new daughter, Kaleigh. I’m told that mom and daughter are both doing well.

* 1:13 pm - From a Chris Lauzen press release entitled: “Lauzen Celebrates Hastert Endorsement of Oberweis”…

The Hastert endorsement may be good for Oberweis (who has lost all 3 campaigns he’s ever run, including the 2002 U.S. Senate Race, also with Hastert’s endorsement), but it’s bad for the people and bad for unity in the Republican Party. Hastert has resigned; Oberweis is running against me; let the people decide.

*** 1:32 pm *** And then there were two. Republican congressional candidate Kevin Burns has dropped out of the race…

Soon after former House speaker Dennis Hastert endorsed one of his opponents this morning, candidate Kevin Burns announced he is dropping out of the 14th Congressional District race.

Burns, Geneva’s mayor, said Hastert’s support of Jim Oberweis was the main factor in his decision to “suspend” his campaign.

“It is my best interest and the party’s best interest to suspend my campaign,” Burns said. “It’s extremely difficult, but in the final analysis, it’s what’s best for me.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:01 pm

Comments

Can’t say I don’t support this action at this point.

Comment by Paul Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:03 pm
The transit unions really don’t need to send a message, what they need to do is walk off till this thing gets settled. I am convinced that would force a compromise. If the Governor and the legislature can’t fix it, let the union fix it.

Go Union!!!!

Comment by Garp Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:06 pm
To bad the CUBS are not playing, BLAGO could take everyone to the game on Monday.

Comment by SLICK Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:12 pm
yet another reason to get rid of the Union. Those pension s funds they are clamoring about are part of the reasons for the financial hole. More lucarative then any hard worker paid from a private sector buisness.

If only the law did not bar them from striking, but then they say the strike is not a strike so its ok. Unless of course they end up like the NY transit folks did for the same act, with hefty fines and a contempt finding. After all, most of us know if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:12 pm
Employees working for governmental entities have wage and work rule inefficiencies which lead to excessive cost structures. That in turn leads to excessive demands for revenue to run their bloated operations.

I find it ironic that these well compensated workers have found a way to hurt people who are not as well of as they are during the Christmas season.

What a vile way to say Merry Christmas!

Comment by plutocrat03 Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:16 pm
Is there anyone in Illinois that is not holding the taxpayers hostage with public transportation?

Comment by Leroy Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:28 pm
Do we know what TIMES the walk-off would be in effect? As someone who takes CTA every night, I’m trying to figure out if I’ll have to drive in once or twice.

Comment by the commuter once known as So Ill Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:31 pm
If the transit union leaders take this strike action (and this would be a strike, no matter what the union people say), look for some judge to throw the book at the transit union leadership and jail the for contept. Then in two years, look forthat judge to run for (and probably win) a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court.

Comment by fedup dem Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:32 pm
Per “the commuter once known as So Ill - Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:31 pm:

“Do we know what TIMES the walk-off would be in effect? As someone who takes CTA every night, I’m trying to figure out if I’ll have to drive in once or twice.”

In response:

This is the CTA. You won’t be able to tell the difference.

They will need to post signs:

“This time the filthy trains, rude drivers, and long waits are caused by a `strike’ rather than just our employees following their usual routines.”

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:46 pm
At least some people have an alternative way to get to work……I dont have a car or bike, and live 16 miles from my job…….CRAP!!!!

Comment by snowbird Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:48 pm
Stop scapegoating rank and file workers for poor management and failed political leadership. The job action is entirely appropriate. Maybe the business community can put some pressure on Tom Cross and Senator Watson.I think a system-wide shutdown for 24 hours would be awesome - people can make other arrangements for one 24 hour period since they know about the shutdown in advance.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:52 pm
who cares….I’ll just drive ( on crummy roads) to a downstate casino 4 the day.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:52 pm
Thanks for the help, skeeter. It was a serious question. I still have to get to work, regardless of any job actions.

Comment by the commuter once known as So Ill Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:54 pm
Strikes and walk outs don’t work if you put deadlines in them. They don’t work when you choose a time that avoids inconveniences. Strikes work when they shock the daily routines of life, and forces the union’s problem onto the general public.

So, this is a PR stunt that will not sway a governor or a General Assembly into action. It may be a two-day news event before everyone returns to Christmas shopping and celebrations.

Right now we are toughened by an endless parade of stupidity, and this news event is just another float, or another marching band, for bleary-eyed voters waiting for it all to end with the arrival of Santa Claus. Santa is hauling a whole lot of coal in that sack this year, isn’t he?

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 12:54 pm
Wow, it’s great that some people’s reaction to the only concerted attempt to force Springfield to resolve the funding crisis is to take cheap shots at the bus drivers and dust off the usual attacks on unions.

The drivers and train operators have been threatening this for some time, and frankly, its not hard to believe that the only thing that will break the logjam is if people get a taste of what “doomsday” will really be like.

Comment by Underdog Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:31 pm
I think it’ll work. I don’t think patrons of public transportation have taken this problem seriously enough - most people up to this point seem to be content with the finger in the levee solutions, much like most of our elected officials. Forcing change is all about action… maybe this will rally the riders.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:32 pm
I’ve long told anyone who would listen that the only way we were going to get voters’ attention is to shut down the system.

And, I disagree with Vanillaman. When the entire city workforce is required to either drive to work or call in sick, when kids who can’t get to school because they rely on the CTA are forced to stay home, or their parents are forced to leave for work two hours earlier to give them a ride–or stay home with them — it will be effective.

What would have been better strategically is if the CTA had announced the shutdown as a stop-gap cost savings measure and blamed the Governor for failing to provide a viable funding solution. Unfortunately, Mayor Daley doesn’t have the stones to stand up to the Governor.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:33 pm
YDD - You mean a viable solution your beloved Madigan couldn’t even muscle out of his own chamber? Twice?

Comment by GoBearsss Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:35 pm
Blago probably pushed the poor Daily Egyptian journalist just so he could step behind him and save him.

Comment by GoBearsss Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:36 pm
Cheap shots?

No, I call ‘em as I see ‘em.

I believe in unions, but the transit workers are an exception. They are consistently rude and incompetent. They are far overpaid for what, for the most part, are jobs requiring limited skills.

When the transit workers start acting like professionals, I will start having some sympathy for them.

My favorite CTA experience: After the driver of the 157 Streeterville ran a red light, another driver honked at her (the driver was to the right of the bus and had the right of way). The driver leaned out of her seat and nearly out the door and with both hands flipped off the other driver.

I called to report the incident. The response? The driver has a lot of seniority, so nothing can be done.

I’m tired of that attitude. You want to raise my taxes to pay people like that?

Fix the system and then come back asking for more money.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:42 pm
I agree. These people are highly overpaid for menial jobs and have every benefit and perk under the sun, including pensions. To top it all off, most of them make it pretty obvious that they hate their jobs, and go out of their way to be rude, lazy unhelpful. If I had a dollar for every time a bus passed me while I patiently waited at the stop, I’d be rich. Now, they plan to prevent people who actually work from being able to get to their jobs.

The CTA is one of the very few examples where I would agree that employees should take pay and benefit cuts to help balance the budget. Such a rude bus driver with seniority (as described above)make more money than teachers and other professionals who have to pay for and endure years of extra education in order to get their jobs. I’m generally in favor of unions, but I say that if they do what they’re threatening, pull a Ronald Reagan on them and bust that union.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:56 pm
Well the governor does have a heart after all!!! Glad to hear it.

Comment by Levois Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 1:57 pm
Look I get it that sometimes bus drivers are rude, but its crazy to suggest it’s easy to drive a 50 foot bus through rush hour downtown - or through some terrible neighborhood at 3am - and deal with thousands of obnoxious riders, drunks, school kids, and everybody else all day. And as we all saw a few days ago, if a train engineer misses one signal light, your train ends up on top of somebody else’s train.

That’s just not an easy job, period. So rail against CTA management for being too lazy to discipline bad workers, but that’s no reason to gut everyone’s retirement plan.

And if anyone thinks its menial work to drive a CTA bus, maybe you can give it a shot on Monday - I hear they’re looking for help.

Comment by Underdog Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 3:14 pm
Has somebody taken the pill kept in the secret compartment of his ring? A cabbie faces worse for a lousy $25k a year and no benefits. School bus drivers make beer money. I don’t understand the argument.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 3:38 pm
I have to chime in and say any universal complaint of a lack of professionalism by CTA workers doesn’t jibe with my experience. I use CTA every day and have for years and some of bus and train operators are warm, personable, and competent.

There’s one guy who (used to?) drive the Blue Line who was so solicitous with his greetings and good wishes to passengers that it made people smile before they’d even had their coffee. That takes some doing.

I’m not saying they’re all princes, I’m just saying there are some good hard-working people employed by the CTA. And if I worked hard and dedicated a portion of my professional life to making my city better I too would hate to see that stepped on by political in-fighting.

Comment by DwightZinfandel Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 5:00 pm
like any other place, business or public service, there are good employees and crappy employees.

But these people get hundreds of thousands of us to work every day. And every month or two they get notice that they’re going to get laid off, and then get told, “nope! not yet!”

Those are crappy working conditions. And dealing with the general public every day? Most riders are good people, but there are plenty of nuts, crooks, and scum bags riding the trains and buses every day who make the drivers and employees lives miserable.

Better than 9 out of every 10 employees I encounter seem to be consciencious about their jobs. And the people who complain about this or that probably don’t know what the employee’s job is. The station attendent’s job isn’t to go and clean up a pool of vomit or urine. That is a maintenance job. Just like it’s not your office’s receptionist’s job to clean the bathrooms. If it is, your receptionist should get a new job. Bus drivers and train drivers have tough jobs. Some of them suck, but a lot of the problems are due to bad old equipment and poor scheduling by management.

The problem isn’t with the unions, its with the bosses. Huberman is doing a good job, but there is a lot to be done still.

And yeah, cab drivers are massively underpaid. It sucks. They have really bad jobs.

The job action is something I totally support, even though it’ll be a major inconvenience.

Comment by jerry 101 Thursday, Dec 13, 07 @ 5:52 pm
Driving a bus, motorman on a train, are not jobs for the unskilled.

The problem is not labor, but the pension plan.

If there was a little more flexibility on that from all, the thing could be resolved.

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Dec 14, 07 @ 8:51 am
Rich, is there an after-party plan for after the No-EL show? I seem to recall a plan to visit a nearby watering hole, but I can’t make it to the show itself due to an earlier commitment.

Comment by Prairie Sage Friday, Dec 14, 07 @ 9:25 am