There might not be a Muni strike after all! During the first full workday since an independent arbitrator imposed a three-year contract that the Muni operators' union rejected last week, only 31 drivers called in sick, and there were no signs of an imminent strike. The drivers threatened to strike if the contract was imposed, but they seem to have been bluffing lo these many months, unless they're going to suddenly pull some sort of surprise strike maneuver later on, before the contract is scheduled to take effect on July 1. Muni director Nat Ford admitted that we're all pretty much screwed if they do strike, though. "You can’t have a contingency plan that suddenly addresses the transit needs of 700,000 passengers.”
Meanwhile, S.F. taxi drivers are planning a strike and some kind of circling of cabs around City Hall today, in protest of 5% credit card fees that they're being charged by cab companies. The taxi drivers don't sound all that united behind this cause, however, and one driver for Metro cab told the Ex that he only expects a few hundred drivers to participate. (Most days we'd be surprised to know there even were a few hundred cabs in this town.) So rather than being merely frustrating trying to get a cab this evening, it may become ridiculously hard and/or impossible.