JTA Bus Drivers to Strike?????

[Fallen Buckeye]

I am one of those teachers who probably won't be getting my scheduled step raises this year. I'm not happy about it, but I understand how the economy is. I'm glad to be working (at inner-city school who has made an A two years in a row I might add  ). I'm not interested in striking. I'm getting a second job afterschool to make up the difference. That said I would be severely pissed if bus drivers get a raise when everyone else is expected to take a hit.

[Miss Fixit]

I am one of those teachers who probably won't be getting my scheduled step raises this year. I'm not happy about it, but I understand how the economy is. I'm glad to be working (at inner-city school who has made an A two years in a row I might add  ). I'm not interested in striking. I'm getting a second job afterschool to make up the difference. That said I would be severely pissed if bus drivers get a raise when everyone else is expected to take a hit.

Fallen Buckeye, thank you for your efforts.  If any group of people deserve higher pay it's teachers, but unfortunately we are dealing with an economy that does make it necessary for everyone to take a hit. "Everyone" includes police officers, fire fighters, and - yes - bus drivers.   They have the least of my sympathy.  We regularly attempt to use public transportation, and every time we do must deal with rude drivers and late buses or buses that never show up (which is why I used the word "attempt" - more than once I've had to call a friend to pick me up after waiting more than an hour for a scheduled bus that never arrived).

[uptowngirl]

Channe 4 did a story on this last night, they looked at July cost to run the buses, and revenue made... guess what? The revenue does not cover the loss. I believe they said total ridership was 35K in July, including connectors (you know one person who has to jump four buses to get where they are going). In a town this size,with our population, and taking into consideration connectors that is a pretty pitiful number.

[CS Foltz]

exnewsman........last set of numbers that I saw was a total of about 35k in July.(look in this thread posted by uptowngirl) Zooming around like I usually do, when passing a bus, I take a look at the numbers riding at that time.........usually I am looking at about 12 people and usually less than that! A lot of it should have to do with the bus destination and whether it is inbound to downtown or outbound.........but either way I have never seen any bus anywhere with standing room only! Now New York City and those sized Cities that is the norm, standing room only, and with most every large City but Jacksonville right now.......no way! JTA is trying to get more bus action going without addressing the basic problem with shelters, advertising is promised to add shelters, and has not addressed the mundane problem with "Drivers" who hate the job and the public! For this we get to subsidize JTA and the bovines who run it? Something is wrong with this picture and the onslaught of BRT will not change much I am guessing!

[Seraphs]

It looks as though the bus drivers don't have the sympathy of the people on their side.  No doubt about it far too many bus drivers are rude, and treat people that ride the buses as third class citizens.  The Horror is hardly anybody launches a formal complaint.  I did all the time when I rode the bus.  My cell phone was on fire, I gave names when I could and bus numbers and times.  This seems like much you do about nothing, but when someone develops a track record and has many similar complaints eventually something will be done.

[uptowngirl]

It is not just the riders they tick off! How many times have those drivers ticked off other drivers on the road. Too many times too count!!!!

[fsujax]

Bus Drivers vote to strike.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=163051&catid=3

[CS Foltz]

This should be very very interesting!

[BridgeTroll]

   Hilarious...

Teachers, police and Firemen are negotiating a pay cut... but the bus drivers union thinks they should get a large raise... and threaten to strike to do it!

freekin ballsey!

[tufsu1]

not so quick BT...I'm not sure the police union is ready to except pay cuts yet

[uptowngirl]

Wel it is good news for me, I will not have to put up with their nastiness and road hogging ane changing foolishness for awhile :-) Perhaps we will see it has no impact whatsoever....

[stjr]

No one in the private sector gives people in this line of work pensions anymore.  The few grandfathered in are losing them little by little.  Pensions should not be an issue. They are lucky they have one at all.  And, everyone is paying more for medical insurance.  I'd give them a 1.5% average (better drivers get a little more, worse ones get a little less) pay increase per year for the next three years and phase out pensions for all new drivers.  Health insurance should be split, say 30/70 between the company and the employee for employee coverage, and 70/30 at best for family.  Just like the private sector.  And, the same rules need to apply to the executives and white collar workers.  No one at JTA deserves anything better than the private sector, and based on the quality of their operation, maybe less. 

If they don't like it, maybe JTA should privatize the driving of buses (not the management of the whole system although as bad as JTA is, maybe that should be looked at separately).

By the way, just having the news report a strike vote will insure riders find alternative modes of transit whether a strike occurs or not.  (What rider can afford to wait to the last minute to find an alternative if they strike?) This will guarantee an indefinite drop in ridership resulting in even less need and resources for drivers.  The drivers will lose here no matter what.

[CS Foltz]

This make me wonder just how JTA is going to account for the ridership drop in their total numbers! This should be real interesting over the long haul! Silly bus drivers!

[exnewsman]

exnewsman........last set of numbers that I saw was a total of about 35k in July.(look in this thread posted by uptowngirl) Zooming around like I usually do, when passing a bus, I take a look at the numbers riding at that time.........usually I am looking at about 12 people and usually less than that! A lot of it should have to do with the bus destination and whether it is inbound to downtown or outbound.........but either way I have never seen any bus anywhere with standing room only! Now New York City and those sized Cities that is the norm, standing room only, and with most every large City but Jacksonville right now.......no way! JTA is trying to get more bus action going without addressing the basic problem with shelters, advertising is promised to add shelters, and has not addressed the mundane problem with "Drivers" who hate the job and the public! For this we get to subsidize JTA and the bovines who run it? Something is wrong with this picture and the onslaught of BRT will not change much I am guessing!

Should be 35k trips/day not for the month.

[CS Foltz]

I stand corrected! Then I would have to ask...........if the ridership is 35k perday, do you consider, since the total population of Jacksonville is around 850,000 (pulled these number from the COJ homepage and not sure it  reflects the past census) does that the number truely reflect JTA's mandate being fully implemented? I am not totally convinced that JTA is up front and honest with their numbers...........I mean, how do we know that is an accurate number? If it is, I would bet money that the majority of riders are concentrated in the north and west side with south and east numbers behind! I base this observation on looking at the number of riders when passing bus's!