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Discussion group: Water Cooler: News And ViewsTop   Discussion group: Water Cooler: News And Views Water Cooler: News And Views    Discussion Topic: Talk About The Port Authority Talk About The Port Authority

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Talk About The Port Authority
T O P I C Discussion Started: 05-24-2002, 2:25 PM Add to the Discussion
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Share your thoughts about the Port Authority finances and new contract proposal for union employees.

You can also talk about bus and trolley service. Is it good or bad in your area? Do you use it for work or school, or for entertainment (sporting events, night out on the town, etc.)?

View Messages: [newest first] | [oldest first]
ericv857 02-13-2009, 10:06 AM Add to the Discussion
The Port Authority Board doesn't have to answer to any body, that's the first problem. The second is that the Bus and trolley drivers are not trained in customer service and have terrible attitudes toward the public. I saw a Black female driver put 2 young girls not more than 10 years old off the bus a 10 at night because they were short 25 cent. It is things like this that makes no sense. shut the company down and start over. The Pat police are even worse they spend all day pulling over motorist instead of ensuring security on the bus system. they should be eliminated and the responsibility should be given back to the sheriff, that would save millions.

concerned, Eric

patvet2009 01-25-2009, 8:42 PM Add to the Discussion
TO :terryh67 YOU SAID

"why does the union and the bus drivers believe they deserve better then what the men and woman in uniform that protect our country get? There is no job in the world that pays you medical benefits for 1 year never mind to while you are on a non-medical leave!! This is ridiculous and I completely understand the port authority's point of view."

You are comparing apples and oranges here. Military versus union work....I can say that while I was in the military (got out in 2007) I made more money in there than I make now working with the Port Authority. I paid zero for full medical/dental/vision benefits and most of my earnings were tax free. I never heard any Port Auth employee make that statement that you imply....your post is pure nonsense.

wpahiker 01-25-2009, 2:21 PM Add to the Discussion
bas4runner, the difference between your company and the PAT board is that you are responsible to the shareholders, PAT's board is responsible to no one. The public doesn't hire them, can't fire them, and have no say over their salaries or decisions.

I would be interested in seeing the relationship between the board and the contractors and sub-contractors. I'm betting there is one, though it probably isn't visible without some digging.

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Quit reading -- go outside and do something!

bas4runner 01-23-2009, 11:39 AM Add to the Discussion
I am completely outraged that the CEO of the Port Authority would have the audacity to make these statements. This is nothing more than exploitation of the situation this country is in currently. Did they forget thier fiduciary duty to the public and forgoe a contract? As far as I know in my business, the price of steel is about where it was at the end of 2005 to early 2006. I cannot see costs going up more than 15% since the project was started, and even then a good contract would have included the inflation in thier number with a project this large. The port authority needs to shut up and finish the project as per the contract. My employess and I would love to have this steel work in our shop for the 2005 and 2006 prices right now.

Carolcz 01-22-2009, 2:50 PM Add to the Discussion
What about all the money the Port Authority is getting from the drink tax? Will they never have enough money???? Hey Port Authority...learn to live within you budget like the rest of us!

disgusted

shortlady6 01-22-2009, 1:34 PM Add to the Discussion
Got to love the Port Authority. They have Gateway Center all torn up, people take their lives into their hands to cross the street, the disabled don't even have a way to cross the street and the North Shore is just as bad and now our main source of public transportation has gone way over budget and may have to abandon the project unless President Obama gives them the money to finish it. How many times do they think they will be able to go to the White House Cookie Jar for money if the project keeps going over budget? I wish I had access to that cookie jar. Got to love the Port Authority,

Sincerely, shortlady

Krakus 12-26-2008, 6:15 PM Add to the Discussion
Shortlady6: While I agree with you that unions, as aggregations of labor to counter accumulated capital, are a necessary and essential component of our economic system, our purpose here is not to "save PAT." We were not particpants in the negotiations that yielded the agreement reached, and are not signatories to the resultant contract. A small number of us are employees of the PAT system, and stood on both sides of the bargaining table; a greater number are riders of the PAT system which that contract will shape, but many more of us are the taxayers who will bear the burden of funding that contract and the PAT system as a whole. It is our thoughts and opinions within those roles that are sought here, for their ultimate value is in their expression in our greatest role... as voters!

Respectfully, Krakus

wpahiker 12-26-2008, 4:57 PM Add to the Discussion
stortlady, you are correct, we did get off topic. Apologies also to g man.

IMO, PAT, in its' current structure is incapable of being saved. Neither the union nor the board is willing to make the big changes that are necessary to bring PAT back into solvency.

Major cuts in expenses are required, both for the union and the board. I will say that the union has made some concessions, but they are not deep enough to turn the situation around.

For its' part the board has also not made the necessary concessions. Examples, PAT spent $4.7m to renovate offices on the north side, just to abandon them 3 years later for even more expensive leases in the downtown. Let's remind PAT that it is a "County" entity, not a city one, there is far less expensive real estate available in Homestead, Monroeville, McKeesport, and Pine Township, for example.

Board salaries and pensions are excessive, and the board has no responsibility to anyone. The board needs to be restructured to one that is both elected and appointed, so that they can be removed it they do not perform to the satisfaction of the people.

Salaries of both labor and management need to be tied to the profitability / ridership. High salaries in both groups can be justified if the ridership is there to support the finances, but when ridhership drops there needs to be adjustments in expenses to match the change.

Right now when the finances aren't there, instead of making adjustments to costs, PAT just goes screaming to the county and state for additional funding. Notice that when ridership returns there is never a request to lower funding back down, they just find places to spend the money (usually by increasing salaries again).

The board also needs to become responsible for its' decisions, the Pittsburgh Chunnel should never have been approved at a time when ridership was decreasing, costs were rising, and the area was already be served by other means. This is something to do when current methods aren't sufficient to handle the ridership and some form of expansion is needed, not just because Boston, New York, or Philadelphia are doing it.

Basically, as stated before, the entire PAT system (labor and management) needs a major overhaul. Scrapping the current structure and replacing it with either a new authority, or privatizing the functions.

It's broke, let's fix it, not just patch it!

----------------------------- -----------------------------

Quit reading -- go outside and do something!

shortlady6 12-23-2008, 9:06 PM Add to the Discussion
Some how the topic started about the Port Authority then was turned into the Auto Industry. In either case, look past the unions and look at the domonio effect if either of these would shut down. The auto industry would have a much larger impact on the economy if it shut down in the national scope of things but the Port Authority is what we are dealing with here right now. How the company has been running all this time has not been hidden from us. We all know someone who works for PAT and in the union. If we don't like what they have been getting why didn't anyone speak up when it was going on? It is lilke closing the barn door after the horse runs away. Deed is done,we all have a stake in the Port Authority and keeping it solvent. It is just not the union we are looking after but the suppliers of the paper for the schedules, the light bulb supplier, How do you think the Port Authority Police get around in their cars, on air? There is the gasoline and auto maintence. Now stop and think about who all would be effected if the Port Authority would be no more. I am talking more than the people who work there. Make a list of all who have some connection with them who would not be connected. Unions are a great invention. They have served the American worker extremely well. They have saved many lives over the years. But now everyone has to settle down and look at the situation as giant jig saw puzzle. The unions are only one piece of this puzzle, there are other pieces that need to be taken into consideration so drop the union debate and start thinking of ways to save PAT.

Sincerely, shortlady

g man 12-22-2008, 6:29 AM Add to the Discussion
Hiker..I worked in the steel industry for 34 years and I was a well compensated member of the USWA.The company I worked for has announced a 1.2 billion dollar investment in the plant despite the fact that they`ve got all of these greedy union members.Never in my 34 years did the union have a say in upgrading equipment and I`m pretty sure that`s the way it is across the board in the industry.

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