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SAVE OUR RIDE
A RALLY FOR TRANSIT FUNDING

TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010 @ 12 NOON
FEDERAL BUILDING ON GOLDEN GATE AVENUE

SPECIAL GUEST:

REVEREND JESSE JACKSON

JAMES C. LITTLE, TWU INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

HARRY LOMBARDO, TWU INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

WARREN GEORGE, ATU INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
 
PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT OUR STRUGGLE FOR FEDERAL RESOURCES
TO BE APPROPRIATELY APPLIED TO MEET LOCAL COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PRIORITIES
 
PLEASE TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO LEND THEIR VOICES TO A GREAT CAUSE
UNITED WE STAND!

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Click here to view the SFMTA Charter Amendment and the Legislative Digest that was introduced by Supervisors Campos, Mirkarimi, Chiu and Mar May 18, 2010.

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ELSBERND’S VINDICTIVE CHARTER AMENDMENT

Elsbernd’s Charter Amendment is not MUNI reform. It is plain and simply focused on attacking the Operator. There are no solutions offered in this legislation.  Click here to view the DRAFT. This legislation is damaging, as it seeks to spread a message that workers who do not have degrees; however, perform very difficult jobs, do not deserve a decent wage! This is legislation is not the answer; however, it is a real look into vindictive politics and politicians, and their ability to abuse power. For the most part, our members are people of color; we believe that this fact plays a significant role in the foundation of Elsbernd’s attack.

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RIDERS AND OPERATORS UNITE!

San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) carries over 700 thousand customers per day.  Muni provides transit service within the City and County of San Francisco 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The SFMTA Budget is $783 Million of which only $200 MILLION is spent on operational cost. Operational Cost meaning the daily operations of the Municipal Railway Transit System. How is the remainder of this budget being spent? Executive Managers are raking in salaries in excess of $200 THOUSAND, huge perks and very substantial benefits. While scapegoating Transport Workers Union Local 250-A Members, the MTA has hired John Haley as Deputy CEO at a cost of $235 THOUSAND per year and will be filling another Executive position for Sustainable Streets which is attached to a similar salary. Excessive spending also includes $67 MILLION in work orders for outside Departments. SFMTA should not be utilized as an ATM for outside Departments.

SFMTA has made bad decisions and is demanding that the Ridership and Transit Operators take a painful hit to further enable and encourage their ridiculous spending habits. It is clear that SFMTA’s perspective is that the Budget should be balanced on the backs of Riders and Operators!

Transport Workers Union Local 250-A is outraged that the Transit Operators have been consistently scapegoated in the mass media for the financial mess that the SFMTA has created. SFMTA has consistently placed blame on Transit Operators at SFMTA Meeting and various other publicly attended events.

Transport Workers Union Local 250-A recognizes that funding is needed and is perplexed by the fact that SFMTA has not utilized creative resources and strategies to identify additional funding. Transport Workers Union Local 250-A has gone to the Metropolitan Transportation Committee for $17 MILLION of the Bart/Airport money, and we have made numerous trips to Sacramento to stop the Governor’s raiding of over $180 MILLION of transit money for the last 3 years. Furthermore, prior to the passing of last year’s budget up to this point in time, TWU Local 250-A has identified funding issues that would save the Agency Millions of dollars; however, SFMTA would move forward dishonestly, cutting service, raising fares and laying off Transit Operators.

THE ISSUE:

Our Union understands to do our FAIR SHARE, but to solely blame and expect our Members to give $14.9 MILLION back with a guarantee of only 6 months of freezing of fast pass rates for seniors, disabled and youth, the continued service cuts, and the layoff of 176 operators, along with Sean Elsbernd’s Charter Amendment which will eliminate our wages, benefits, and working conditions is totally outrageous. 

Politicians must keep their hands out of the money jar. We believe that we are standing against the mismanagement of SFMTA and CITY HALL! We are demanding that the scapegoating stop and the SFMTA accountability begin.

Our Union has been and continues to be opposed to all fare increases, especially for the seniors, disabled, and the youth.  We are also opposed to further cuts in service, as Muni is a vital service that over 700,000 people use daily. Any service cuts will place the system at the verge of destroying the City’s Transit First Policy.

RIDERS AND OPERATORS UNITE!

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING