We Need to Fight THEM, Not Ourselves!

We’re as doomed as this wee bird
if we fall as it did.

Lately I’ve had a terribly vulgar person comment they have unsubscribed from this blog because I dared show support for our union’s local president. (I deleted this obscene nonsense from whatever deranged mind it came from, and wish them well in their hate-filled life.) Another told me they don’t like how I treat some of my passengers. WTF?!? Has humanity reached its lowest?

Unions are made of a very diverse group of people. You may disagree with your leadership, but they are who you have. Does it make sense to abandon them when they’re knee-deep in a contract battle? Who else do you cheer? Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t gonna bust the doors down and hold a knife to management’s collective throat if they don’t give us all we want. There’s no magic here, just negotiations. If you believe abandoning your union is going to bring daisies and sweet biscuits, it’s not my perception that is flawed.

Don’t like President Block? Fine. Vote for someone else next time. Until then, she and Jon and Mary, along with our other elected representatives, are those fighting an all-powerful cabal which takes taxes from US too while laughing at our demands. They're belittling us, and our infighting empowers them. Have you seen their insulting first proposal? It's even more disrespectful than the last, not to mention what they've done to retirees in the past. Just think how little leverage we will have when it's our turn to say goodbye. You know THEIR nest egg is secure, but ours is beginning to smell pretty bad.

Want to know why unions are losing bargaining power? Because those in power simply play the game smarter. Divide and conquer is the oldest trick in the book of humankind. And yet we keep falling for it, slashing our own throats while the puppet masters laugh from the strings. The very definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior while expecting different results.

I believe the power of multiplication is infinitely greater than division. If we don’t support our own union then we shouldn’t complain about the consequences. Fewer than 40% of our members voted in the last election. When did you last attend a meeting of our local? If we participate as much as we complain, perhaps we’ll become a stronger voice. But hey... it’s evident that complaining is more fun. Our loving riders prove that with each frivolous SIP.

The call for action is an important one: please REFUSE to work your Regular Day Off throughout November. No bus bridges, filling open shifts when asked as yours ends. Opt out of Line Training. Take a STAND! We cannot strike by state law, but we can stand together in other ways.

Remember, our inept management wants to hire mechanics from outside our union brother/sisterhood
 while actively seeking to automate, thereby ELIMINATING, our jobs. Who do you think is acting in OUR best interests? Fucking Santa? Get a grip!

Sure, our leadership has dropped the ball on some issues, but I’d rather put my dues down and bet on my union rather than hoping management treats us with love and respect. Because you know what trickledown economic theory smells like: the Rose Quarter with the slightest breeze.

Time to STAND together Brothers and Sisters, or fall. I’ll sacrifice a little to save our collective soul, over being trampled, any day.

As for how I “treat” my passengers? I provide a smooth and safe ride along with a genuine smile and wishes for a bit of happiness. Usually, I give better than I receive... and that’s okay with me.