Bus Strike

vegetation · Sep 7, 2003

Here on this tiny island, most students and workers heavily depend on our public transportation syste, TheBus. Okay..here's what happened! Just a day after most schools start, TheBus decided to go on strike. The reason, they complian the state has underpaid the bus drivers. How much do they get paid? 44,000k/year, with 100% medical insurance coverage! To convert it to an hourly wage, $21.50/hour:disgust:. Compare to $12/hr for an entry IT job. Easy job, low qualification (doesn't even need a college degree).

Recently, media has been spreading that police officers, techers, and firefighters get paid less than bus drivers, yet, they need higher qualifications, work harder, and sometimes, risk their lifes.

Our state has no money to give them pay raise! The bus drivers demand "No cutbacks, no laid off, and no strike!. Not to our surprise, they didn't gain much of public support. The reason is simply .... it's incovenient to go anywhere without a car. When students are too poor to buy a car, and while there are no buses around, that leaves students have to walk to school, buy new bikes to bike to school.. and i dunno how else they get to school!

Post your opinion about this issue! I am in Oahu Hawaii btw!

IGBT · Sep 7, 2003

21.50 an hour sounds generous..but what's the economy like there? 21.50 an hour hardly makes it in San Francisco..or other bay area communities. Consider... when adjusted for inflation, blue collar workers havent recieved a raise since 1973 in the US. Labor, across the board.. has been on the loosing end of the economy for a long time.

vegetation · Sep 7, 2003

The economy here is bad here! But that wasn't the case! Police officers got paid less than bus drivers while they work harder than bus drivers. One of the reasons bus drivers are using to support themselves is that once they succeed, they will encourage other unions, teacher's union etc, to strike too. I guess $21.50/hour is a lot of money for here though it's expensive to live here.

jpeyton · Sep 7, 2003

Well if their job is as easy as it sounds, I don't think the state should have any problem finding temps to cover them for the same pay or less. Especially in this economy.

IGBT · Sep 7, 2003

Mabe ya can get an illegal alien from Calif.to drive the bus..they have driver licenses now...

ROTC1983 · Sep 7, 2003

You go to UH by any chance? Yeah, the bus strike sucks pretty bad. I was amazed that something like that would happen right before school starts. Hopefully a resolution will happen soon. BTW, I believe they are striking because they were going to have their benefits cut, not because of the pay.

So · Sep 7, 2003

I'm assuming you're in Hawaii? If so, I don't know what salaries are like, but I understand the economy is pretty weak. I believe they never made it out of the 1991 recession. :frown:

ROTC1983 · Sep 7, 2003

Originally posted by: So
I'm assuming you're in Hawaii? If so, I don't know what salaries are like, but I understand the economy is pretty weak. I believe they never made it out of the 1991 recession. :frown:

Yeah, it is pretty crazy down here. I live on post, so most of the economic problems don't apply to us, but I hear about it every day at school and work.

vegetation · Sep 7, 2003

Yes, I do go to UH... I live in Maikiki area, so supposely it should be very close and easy to go to school by bus. But now, the bus is on the strike, I need to call up my friend in the morning to pick me up at 7:15 am to attend my early class.

Well, they are in the union, so basically, the state can't just fire them.

I am not sure about why they strike, but for whatever reason, there is no "reasonable" reason to strike, especially for bus drivers.

We had teachers' strike two years earlier, and I supported it all the way because they deserved it. But as for bus drivers, NO WAY!!!

Chaotic42 · Sep 7, 2003

Can't the state just fire them and hire new ones?

ROTC1983 · Sep 7, 2003

Yeah, it is crazy. I needed the bus a couple of times this week and I couldn't fall back on them since they were on strike. I hope this crap gets resolved soon and someone gives in, because it is hurting the state as a whole. MOst people have found alternatives though thankfully. This is going to hurt the bus system in the long run as people will not have a need for the bus any longer.

Ornery · Sep 7, 2003

You've become dependent on public transportation? Sucks to be you! Sucks that the rest of us get rocked in taxes to pay for our lame ass public transportation, especially since they seem to be so friggin' generous with wages. If you think that's bad, check out how much the administrators of that system make!

Personally, I'll vote against public transportation every chance I get. We can supply old and handicapped people with vouchers for privately owned taxi services, if need be.

Howard · Sep 7, 2003

Originally posted by: Ornery
You've become dependent on public transportation? Sucks to be you! Sucks that the rest of us get rocked in taxes to pay for our lame ass public transportation, especially since they seem to be so friggin' generous with wages. If you think that's bad, check out how much the administrators of that system make!

Personally, I'll vote against public transportation every chance I get. We can supply old and handicapped people with vouchers for privately owned taxi services, if need be.

Are you saying you'd like to drive your under-18 kid everywhere?

Ornery · Sep 7, 2003

If you mean to school, that's what our school buses are for. They're ALWAYS full, as opposed to our lame ass public transportation buses, which drive around the county empty 90% of the time, and the rest of the time have about 5 passengers total.

I frequently drive my kids wherever, and whenever. No problem here!

ROTC1983 · Sep 8, 2003

Originally posted by: Ornery
If you mean to school, that's what our school buses are for. They're ALWAYS full, as opposed to our lame ass public transportation buses, which drive around the county empty 90% of the time, and the rest of the time have about 5 passengers total.

I frequently drive my kids wherever, and whenever. No problem here!

Have you ever been to Hawaii? The buses are almost always busy...

crystal · Sep 8, 2003

If no one using the public transportation, the traffic in some cities will become a nightmare. Try to find a parking space in those major metro areas would be major headache + plus the parking fees would go up the root.

ROTC1983 · Sep 8, 2003

Originally posted by: crystal
If no one using the public transportation, the traffic in some cities will become a nightmare. Try to find a parking space in those major metro areas would be major headache + plus the parking fees would go up the root.

Yeah, the traffic in Hawaii is pretty insane aroudn 5:30 in the morning...it is pretty crazy...

vegetation · Sep 9, 2003

As of today, bus is still on strike. The negotiation yesterday broke off again. :|

Ornery · Sep 9, 2003

And yet I hear mucho bitching about urban sprawl.

Screw the whole urban scene. They can have their mass transit, dense housing and the whole crowded package. They can have our mass transit, too. We sure as hell don't need or want it. God knows how we got saddled with this BS. :disgust:

ROTC1983 · Sep 9, 2003

Originally posted by: vegetation
As of today, bus is still on strike. The negotiation yesterday broke off again. :|

I don't think the bus will recover anytime soon. This is just getting worse day by day

ROTC1983 · Oct 12, 2003

Well, the bus strike is finally over for about a week now. Prices have gone up to 2 dollars a ride though...good thing my car will be out of the shop on Monday

Bus Strike

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