This is topic Transit strike in Honolulu, What a pain! in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 08-26-2003, 02:13 PM:
 
First the teachers in the entire state of Hawaii walk out on their students for more money. After that, the nurses at several major Honolulu hospitals turn their backs on sick patients for more money. Now the bus drivers in Honolulu have walked off their jobs and making life miserable for students who need rides to schools and the elderly from getting around because most of them do not have a car because the drivers also want more money. What makes me very upset about these bus drivers is the fact that they make more money than our policemen, firemen and teachers in Honolulu. Just to give you an idea what the difference is, teachers in our state make about thirty five thousand dollars a year, bus drivers earn about forty five thousand dollars. I too have found traveling to the city much more convenient on the bus than driving during the past year if I was just going to my color lab to drop off or pick up work but I am now forced to drive. I can understand if the working condition for the workers is bad and their reason for striking is to see to it that it is improved but when they turn their back on the public and walk out for more money, give me a break!

-Claude
 
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-26-2003, 10:08 PM:
 
Unfortunately, "money" always seems to be the bottom line and to hell with everything else, including the lives of those who have to depend on the services.

I don't think that will ever change.
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 08-27-2003, 12:32 AM:
 
Paul,

The mayor of Honolulu said on the 10:00 news last night there is no money to pay the bus drivers the money they are asking without drastically increasing bus fares for everyone. The city council will act on this next week and it is very likely they will raise the fare. The monthly bus pass now cost $30.00 and it might be raised to $35.00. Bus fare now is $1.75 and they are considering raising it to $2.00. Transfers are free now but it will cost twenty five cents under the new fare plan. Senior citizens sixty five years and older now pay $25.00 for a two year unlimited pass will very soon have to pay ten dollars a year for an ID card and each ride will cost twenty five cents under the new fare proposal. Honolulu's transit system is one of the best in the country and it won the Best Transit System in America award two years in the row about three years ago and for those of you who have visited Honolulu recently and been on one of our city bus will agree that the award was richly deserved. I guess to be one of the best costs money so I am afraid I will have to dig deeper into my pocket when it comes time to buy another monthly bus pass when the strike ends.

-Claude
 
Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 08-27-2003, 04:22 AM:
 
Claude
I can understand you being upset over this, but one thing in your post puzzles me.
You said teachers make 35,000 a year, bus driver 45,000 a year.
What's your cost of living there like. I've never been there but have heard it's expensive to live there and things are not getting any cheaper. Just look at recent posts from Paul about the rising price of gas. It's $2.00 a gallon here today.
I make a good living doing what I do part-time in a union position , but I have no real living expenses, other than a roof over my head and a ten year old car.
You didn't say what these walkouts were over. Are they looking for higher wages, better benefits or what?
With everything going up and taxes chewing away at us we can't live behind the times. These corps. or whatever have to learn they need to pay a decent wage so we're not living in the poverty level.
I strongly believe walkouts, strikes or whatever are to wake these corps. up, get the public involved and get them to hammer out a liveable wage.
It pisses me off when I hear stories about certain states, government officials or whatever, talking about capping minimum wage jobs and denying certain jobs overtime. That's ridiculous. We cannot live in this country on minimum wage jobs, PERIOD.
Sorry about the soapbox but that's how I feel about what's going on with this right now.
 
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 08-27-2003, 09:32 AM:
 
A few months ago our fares went up from $1.50 to $2.00 on our subway system here in NYC. But we got through it, because the city has to move. Two weeks ago with the blackout the subway system was out, so all the buses were packed full. Each year it costs more and more for fuel and the workforce behind running the system. We have to learn to pay alittle more if we do not want major service changes or cutbacks.
When I lived in Santa Monica, California. We had one of the Best run bus systems in the nation. For the longest time the fare was .50 cents. Today the fare is only .75 cents and they are one of the best equipped bus systems. They run new and very clean buses. They run major routes on the west side of Los Angeles. Here is some of the fares of the Santa Monica Bus System.
Over the last few years Santa Monica has become more pricer in living costs, like rent and homes. Here in NYC it is very expensive to live. A lot of people commute in to the city to work. I feel the teachers should be getting a much better wage than they are getting now.
 
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-27-2003, 12:06 PM:
 
Island Transit is a free service on Whidbey Island.
 
Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 08-27-2003, 12:26 PM:
 
We had a guy over here (I think in NY or NJ) who kept stealing busses just to drive them on their normal routes picking up passengers, and taking them on free rides. I looked for a news link to this story, but couldn't find it right away. Claude, maybe we can ship this guy out there to help out!
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 08-27-2003, 03:12 PM:
 
Mark,

Send him and many like him to our city because we need them to take over our transportation system here. [Smile] One of the best thing President Reagan did when the air controllers walked out many years ago was firing their greedy asses and replacing them with others who were willing to work and accept the fair wage the government was willing to pay at the time.

-Claude
 
Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 08-27-2003, 04:03 PM:
 
I'm probably hopelessly confused, but didn't THEbus start during another transit dispute?
 
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 08-27-2003, 04:49 PM:
 
Dave,

The city was planning to cut back on their bus schedule and lay off workers to reduce the public transit operating cost but Mayor Harris's administration decided to shelve this plan for a month to show the city's good faith to avert a bus strike. The union went on strike anyway. If they did not strike, the Honolulu city council was willing to find a way to avoid cutting back service and laying off workers.
The whole bottom line comes down to greed for more money! [Frown]

-Claude
 




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