Daniel Denvir on the SEPTA Strike

Mike Zappone, who works at SEPTA's 69th St Terminal, says that there is widespread concern among union members that their pension money has been misappropriated and calls the dental issue a diversion. “On the news they’re talking about a dental plan? We haven’t heard about dental the whole time.”

By PW Staff
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Nov. 9, 2009

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PW contributor Daniel Denvir reports on the SEPTA strike conclusion for In These Times. An excerpt:

Another mysterious aspect of the deal is a three-year dental plan that has been widely reported as one of the centerpieces of today’s agreement. No dental issues, however, were previously reported as a point of contention and it is still unclear what role it played in the dispute.

Mike Zappone, who works at SEPTA's 69th St Terminal, says that there is widespread concern among union members that their pension money has been misappropriated and calls the dental issue a diversion. “On the news they’re talking about a dental plan? We haven’t heard about dental the whole time.”

In Pennsylvania, a state known for rampant corruption, there is abundant suspicion of malfeasance on the part of both Democrats and Republicans.
 

“[Union chief Willie Brown] has publicly said that it was a mistake to go out at 3 a.m. without giving public advance notice,” says (spokesman Jamie) Horowitz. “And frankly, we probably could have put a lot of pressure on the employer if we said, ‘Hey, the clocks ticking. The train won’t run if there’s not movement on these issues.’”

But he says that the union recovered their footing. “The primary issue is pensions. And I think we did succeed in getting that across to the public.”

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