Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Transport Workers Union Local 250-A:

In 2007, our Union along with many other City Employee Unions along with transit advocates fought for the passage of Proposition A, which allowed an extra $28 million to improve service and hire frontline workers.  The voters approved this because they hoped that this money would help fund the MTA and help improve the dependability of Muni service.  While hiring was done, we saw this money wiped out by huge cost from work orders from other City departments who were expected by City Hall to cut their budgets by 25%, so in return those Departments increased by over 20% their costs to the MTA for services.

Initially, Proposition A was initially an attack on Muni operators, by trying to change our Charter language on how our pay is determined by the two highest cities, using a formula that has at least 400 operators, and serves a population of at least 500,000 people.  We fought and we were able to maintain our present pay formula, with the ability to go outside this process if we so choose.

Examples of the work orders from other City departments were from the Police Department.  While there are other departments, who are raiding the MTA budget, we would like to focus on just a couple.  Presently, the MTA pays $11 million a year for the Police Department and for the next fiscal year from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 the work order is expected to rise to $18 million.  While the Police department is non-revenue generating department, we are not even receiving the services from them for even the $11 million that is being paid today.  We don’t even see the police do the ride along that is required of every district officer to ride the bus at least 2 times during their shift for at least 3 blocks, and if they do ride, it is not in the areas where we have the problems.  Right now there are no check and balances with a receipt given to the operator, not by pulling up next to your coach, but actual riding on your vehicle, and then giving you a receipt.

Another is the 311 Call Center is slated to cost the MTA over $7 million next fiscal year, because a large percentage of the call are MTA related.  Given the cost and the percentage of calls are MTA related, the cost of each call to 311 comes out to about $1.96 for each call.  When the MTA had our own MTA hotline, it cost the agency no more than $2 million a year.

On the revenue side, as the City reduced the neighborhood street cleaning, it cost the MTA over $3 million in lost revenue from tickets issued.  It would make sense that the MTA pay the DPW the $1 million for the costs, while the MTA maintains the revenue generated from street cleaning tickets.

There needs to be accountability from City Hall to the MTA as to ensure that there is a true audit for all work orders.  It would make sense that the MTA had a zero based budgeting, and services should be on an as needed basis.

Muni service on the street is a vital lifeline to our City, as we carry over 700,000 riders a day.  Savings from these work orders would help to prevent some of the service cuts and fare increases being proposed.  The Board of Supervisor’s have the ultimate authority at the end of the day, by passing or rejecting the MTA budget if there is no change in the amount of the work orders.

Fraternally,

Irwin Lum
President, TWU Local 250-A