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There's a fun editorial in today's Examiner. It involves the "mysterious driver malady" that affects Muni drivers on Mondays and Fridays. According to the article, "On May 1, a Friday, nearly 22 percent of Muni’s 1,632 scheduled operators were “unavailable” -- 132 called in sick, but no less than 112 just failed to report for their shifts. They were marked down as taking 'unplanned leave,' a catchall category that also includes claimed injuries, suspensions or getting sick during a run." But wait, it gets better. The items goes on to say that "t[t]he AWOL rate was even higher the following Monday, May 4, when 113 drivers didn’t arrive to start their routes." And best of all, there's little to no consequences for no-show drivers. Muni spokesperosn Judson True, however, claims that the truancies are "being steadily reduce." In better news, Muni might finally get rid of redundant stops, thus improving your transit times. So, you know, there's that.
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Ditch these clowns.
With an unemployment rate of over 8.3% (worse in the rest of the state), I'm sure we can find qualified, motivated people who would be willing to do the same work for the same (or less) WITHOUT the truancy rates and attitude we experience today.
-mm
Unemployment is over 10% here in CA. Why do we employ these losers? Can anyone imagine a job that you just don't show up to and don't bother calling in sick to keeping you employed? Is it any wonder people are sick of unions even here in pro-union SF and CA? Astounding.
Sounds like a dream job. You can show up whenever you feel like it, or not, and still get paid.
It's sort of like being in congress, but without the hassle of elections.
Muni drivers are only taking a cue from Gavin's "Spend just 90 minutes on official city business every 44 working days" policy.
Call it civic pride.
The MUNI drivers' union has been needing a notch-down for quite some time. However and unfortunately, I don't see it happening here.
Most unions don't have the trauancy policy that Muni drivers have (apparently; I've never seen it).
Who were the spineless negotiators for the city?
yeah I don't understand why people rush to blame unions when there were two sides at the negotiating table.
Muni employees are pretty bad at their jobs though.
Yes, there are two sides bargaining, but only one is arguing for policies that permit workers to not show up to work. They obtain those concessions by threatening to strike. Do you really think that MUNI employees could get away with this if there was no union? You can reasonably debate whether or not unions are a good thing, but can you really doubt that one of their downsides is this type of behavior?
You can be pro-union and still want to bust this one.
The same spineless negotiator that got the no strike clause included in the contract. Pick your poison. Strike at will, but show up every day. No strikes allowed, but a few unexcused absences per period are.
This is a big reason for delays - when these overpaid, do nothings don't show up, it creates a lot of trouble, as they have to find a replacement without any prior warning.
Until the Newsom MTA board does something about it, it will continue. Nathaniel Ford will shake his head, you'll get a lot of "gawrsh, something should be done, Mickey" comments from management, and the bad drivers will always get their big pay, pension, health care and paid days off.
Remember, the City exists to pay a few people a lot of money to sit on their ass. You, however have to work extra hard and pay more in taxes, fines and "fees" (like that nickel a drink tax Avalos proposed) and you don't get benefits. That is the City of 2009. But you all approve of it so why complain?
The only thing more unfathomable than asking for a clause in your union contract that allows your members to "no show" without any penalty is for an employer to read that clause and say "Sure, that's fine, where do I sign?".
I've seen alot of poorly negotiated union contracts that allow for alot of employee shenanigans without recourse, but I've never seen one that allowed the employees to not show up for work.
Yeah, when was this contract negotiated, who was the city negotiator, and who paid him off or had him over a barrel?
When the union requested unlimited unannounced absences, they should have been laughed out of the room. In any other city, they would have been.
The Chron's article about reducing stops mentions that it will reduce the time taken when pulling out into the lane from a stop... I'm not sure where the muni drivers actually pull INTO a bus stop and OUT of the lane?!
Almost everywhere but Market Street.
Dude, how can I get this "if you call in sick or just don't show up on Monday so that I can earn some overtime, I'll call in sick on the following Monday so that you can earn overtime" set up at my workplace? Does this have something to do with the bus fare going up to $2? Parking meter rates and hours of operation going up? Bus service cuts all over the City? Why do we put up with allowing these unions to set up these sweet contracts - is there an arm's length separation between the labor negotiators and the folks representing the City on the Board of Supervisors or wherever else with influence? Oh ... I'm sorry ... you have dinner reservations ... don't worry your pretty little with head with these details.
You know, there is something we as simple peons can do to show Muni we don't support their extra-lax employee policy: vote against ballot measures that give Muni a whole bunch of money! I've been saying this over the last several elections, but every time I or anyone else points out that our city transit system doesn't deserve free cash without serious, written-in-stone commitments to the public, we get shouted down for being "anti-public transit", "anti-saving the earth," selfish because we're "pro-car," etc.
Until Nat Ford is gone, until the drivers' union shapes up, and until crimes committed on Muni are actually prosecuted, I have to oppose giving the organization any more of my money.
That sounds like a great way to shoot yourself in the foot.
Look, a certain amount of wastage is taken for granted in any spending, especially city government, military spending, and high finance.
Under normal circumstances, voting down a Muni measure won't cause Muni to suddenly reevaluate their union contracts, it will just mean we have worse service.
The union contract was only ever going to get renegotiated during a crisis like the present.
I want to see Ford implement the important changes first, like the TEP and stop consolidation, then as deficits continue, go after the most egregious provisions of the union contract.
That sounds like a great way to shoot yourself in the foot.
Look, a certain amount of wastage is taken for granted in any spending, especially city government, military spending, and high finance.
Under normal circumstances, voting down a Muni measure won't cause Muni to suddenly reevaluate their union contracts, it will just mean we have worse service.
The union contract was only ever going to get renegotiated during a crisis like the present.
I want to see Ford implement the important changes first, like the TEP and stop consolidation, then as deficits continue, go after the most egregious provisions of the union contract.
That sounds like a great way to shoot yourself in the foot.
Look, a certain amount of wastage is taken for granted in any spending, especially city government, military spending, and high finance.
Under normal circumstances, voting down a Muni measure won't cause Muni to suddenly reevaluate their union contracts, it will just mean we have worse service.
The union contract was only ever going to get renegotiated during a crisis like the present.
I want to see Ford implement the important changes first, like the TEP and stop consolidation, then as deficits continue, go after the most egregious provisions of the union contract.
I hate to repeat this story here for fear of retribution from the politically correct douchebags who label everyone not politically correct as a racist - but - I was on the 45 heading downtown and there were two black dudes at the back of the bus - where I always sit - discussing available jobs.
The younger was either totally retarded, drunk or high "could a brotha help a brotha out" and the older was clearly employed by the Newsom cabal of affirmative action dolts at MUNI with no clear skills (talking on public transit about your connections and the inherent racism in the system is kinda stupid, no?) AND reeking of weed while doing so is also not so bright.
Older, sober black guy breaks it down for younger, doped up black guy letting him know that blacks get priority for MUNI jobs over any other group - ESPECIALLY MUNI DRIVERS - even with drugs, DUI and criminal records. Chinese get priority for DMV jobs and so on. I nearly shit myself listening to this old guy spell it all out.
I've heard old men tell tales, but based on my experiences on MUNI and DMV it would appear that this long time survivor of SF DOT Gov knows more than most.
Look around and prove me wrong before you toss off at your own mouth.
Ah, stop touting your own political incorrectness, it marks you as either clueless or a blustering right wing jerk.
You're not daring. This is SFist, not the Guardian, and no one's going to call you out for describing the way that ethnic favoritism drives city machine politics (it has since 1850 in SF).
"talking on public transit about your connections and the inherent racism in the system is kinda stupid, no?"
No. People talk about a lot of stupid crap on Muni, including pending drug deals. No one cares.
reeking of weed while doing so
That's pretty funny. Hope he sobers up before he hits the road.
how about getting the online tweeting public to help us take back muni from the corrupt employees? post pictures and times and locations of all of their discretions! maybe we can even convince some of the muni oriented blogs to help us stand up to them too.
Muni drivers come in three flavors:
1) Ultra nice. Smiles, waits for people and even tells people the connecting routes from the current stop - Rare
2) Indifferent. Doesn't look at you as you come in, even to look at your pass or transfer. Never speaks. Does his job to the letter. - Common
3) Cruel. Wastes time making you walk back to reshow your pass even though he saw it fine the first time. Wastes more time telling you how to sit your kid even though they've been riding the bus since they were born. Moves the buss three feet forward from the stop to the red traffic light and then won't allow anyone else on board while he's waiting. Drives aways from a stop even if you're running to it and only a few feet from the entrance because actually picking up people is keeping him off schedule. - Far too common