Speaks Out

For more than two weeks, the United Transportation
Union, which represents 4,400 bus and rail operators in the Los
Angeles area, has been on strike against the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority. This has had a major impact in
communities all over Los Angeles. How do you feel about the MTA
strike? Stacy Chu-Jones Third-year
Psychology "I don’t know much about it. What I’ve heard is that
both sides are relatively unreasonable. The drivers are getting
good benefits and good pay and they’re still not happy and want to
work overtime. The management doesn’t want to pay them for all of
that. So they should just probably knock off some of the routes
that are not so busy and put those workers in when they need them
for overtime as opposed to hiring new ones because the new ones
would be hard to train. I think the strike should just top because
the people who are suffering are the poor people who have to get on
the bus and go to work. They are already part of the working-class
so they should not have to do that. Leloba Pahl
Fifth-year engineering and geology "The folks behind the MTA really
aren’t being fair to the drivers. They come through with policies
that aren’t really intact. They make no sense to the drivers who
make up most of their driver population. Fifty percent of their
drivers haven’t been with them more than five years. They make
policies that they say will give $50,000 a year to anybody who has
worked longer than 15 years, but no body has worked longer than 15
years and they all this their ‘remedy package,’ which is not
working and no sufficient. I definitely side with the strikers."
Siraj Mowjood Third-year Psychobiology "To tell
you the truth, I’m not that informed about the MTA strikes, but
from what I’ve heard, it seems as if the workers have voiced their
concerns. Since they have been striking for so long, it is
obviously something of importance to them. It just goes to show you
that you can’t take anything for granted. L.A. is not a pedestrian
town. Many people own cars. Still, this strike has created a huge
problem for many L.A. residents. For those of us who do not take
the bus, just looking at the strike goes to show how much we need
to realize what we have." Annabel Abnosi
Third-year Political science "I don’t think striking is the right
way to go. Still, the MTA workers have a right in this country to
do just that. So if they feel strongly enough about it, then that’s
what they should do." Rony Dekermenjian First-year
undeclared "We feel that there is too much traffic on the freeways
because of the MTA strikes. And I think those strikers should sit
down and work things out. It affects everyone. The freeway traffic,
the low-income workers, the people in my community who come in and
clean the houses for us. I live in Glendale in the mountain areas
and a lot of homes that seek domestic help have to actually go
drive downtown and pick the maids up themselves." Josiah
Johnson First-year undeclared "The workers have not gotten
a pay raise in 10 years, so I think it is good that they are a
special part of the community. My uncle actually works for the MTA,
so he’s striking. They’re upset about it. They need to get paid
more money just like all people who get undercut by society."
Compiled by Cuautemoc Ortega, Daily Bruin Senior Staff. Photos by
Dave Hill, Daily Bruin Senior Staff. Web Adaptation by Hernane
Tabay, Daily Bruin Senior Staff