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Indybay Feature
MUNI Social Strike: It's Coming!
An inevitable fare hike in the City’s public transportation system, San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), is distressing the most vulnerable members of society: seniors, disabled, low-income residents and students. Bus fares will be going up from $1.25 to $1.50 this September. Along with higher fares, San Franciscans can expect service cuts to bus lines as well as a reduction in driver privileges and mass layoffs. The reason for these changes is to alleviate a $57 million deficit faced by MUNI. Several citizen groups opposing these measures are mobilizing to fight back. One such effort is a social strike planned to coincide with these fare hikes.
An inevitable fare hike in the City’s public transportation system, San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), is distressing the most vulnerable members of society: seniors, disabled, low-income residents and students. Bus fares will be going up from $1.25 to $1.50 this September. Along with higher fares, San Franciscans can expect service cuts to bus lines as well as a reduction in driver privileges and mass layoffs. The reason for these changes is to alleviate a $57 million deficit faced by MUNI. Several citizen groups opposing these measures are mobilizing to fight back. One such effort is a social strike planned to coincide with these fare hikes.
A very visible strike is set to take place just before bus fares shoot up in September. Protestors will be holding posters, handing out flyers and chanting to encourage riders to ignore fare hikes, and to drivers to allow non-paying riders to board busses and cable cars/street cars. The organizers of the strike, Social Strike.net, say that the issues are clear: this is the second fare hike in 3 years; service cuts include grossly slashing drivers’ pre and post operation breaks, which raises concerns about public safety and the betrayal of downtown businesses for not paying fees or higher taxes in subsidizing the transportation agency beleaguered with a deficit for several years in exchange for its bussing thousands of employees working at these downtown businesses.
Social Strike.net is a group of concerned riders and drivers who take pride in their “non-reformist” grassroots tactics to form a working class solidarity to challenge MUNI’s proposed changes.
A group of about 40 MUNI drivers who have mobilized themselves in a group dubbed, “Drivers Action Committee”, is also meeting regularly to strategize about how to deal with the cuts.
The drivers say that their management and their bus driver’s union, Transport Worker’s Union Local 250-A, are both working against the drivers’ best interests, which in turn affects riders. Drivers from Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (ACT) and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), are also attending the meetings to support MUNI drivers in hopes to mobilize their agencies when faced with similar issues.
“It’s like a divide and conquer strategy between MUNI management and their union against the drivers and riders. It pits the riders against the drivers and benefits management,” says Lamia Bensouda of Social Strike.net. She also said that drivers from generations of families who have driven for MUNI are a part of the collaboration, and that these drivers are well versed on the policies, practices, and history of MUNI and its management.
MUNI Public Relations Officer Alan Siegel says that he’s heard rumors about planned strikes.
“We heard about a driver wildcat strike and this social strike. Their union says they won’t happen, and we’rehopeful that they won’t.”
Union representative, John Dudley, says members of the union aren’t supposed to strike on their own, and if the San Francisco City government authorizes fare increases, there is nothing they can do about it.
The fact that Michael Burns, MUNI Executive Director, is stepping down will not affect the plight of the transportation agency or the impending social strike.
“Its not who’s running the agency from the top seat, it’s the system itself. These frequent fare increases prove how poorly MUNI manages money. Drivers and riders are abused,” says Ehssan Vandaei, also of Social Strike.net.
A series of educational community meetings about the social strike will be held in various spots around town. The social strike itself may well go on after the first day in a continuous manner akin to Critical Mass, the monthly bike riders’ congregation. Exactly how it will be implemented, though, is still being examined by organizers. In the mean time, further details on the strike as well as legal resources for those punished for not paying fares while striking, will be published on http://www.socialstrike.net.
A very visible strike is set to take place just before bus fares shoot up in September. Protestors will be holding posters, handing out flyers and chanting to encourage riders to ignore fare hikes, and to drivers to allow non-paying riders to board busses and cable cars/street cars. The organizers of the strike, Social Strike.net, say that the issues are clear: this is the second fare hike in 3 years; service cuts include grossly slashing drivers’ pre and post operation breaks, which raises concerns about public safety and the betrayal of downtown businesses for not paying fees or higher taxes in subsidizing the transportation agency beleaguered with a deficit for several years in exchange for its bussing thousands of employees working at these downtown businesses.
Social Strike.net is a group of concerned riders and drivers who take pride in their “non-reformist” grassroots tactics to form a working class solidarity to challenge MUNI’s proposed changes.
A group of about 40 MUNI drivers who have mobilized themselves in a group dubbed, “Drivers Action Committee”, is also meeting regularly to strategize about how to deal with the cuts.
The drivers say that their management and their bus driver’s union, Transport Worker’s Union Local 250-A, are both working against the drivers’ best interests, which in turn affects riders. Drivers from Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (ACT) and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), are also attending the meetings to support MUNI drivers in hopes to mobilize their agencies when faced with similar issues.
“It’s like a divide and conquer strategy between MUNI management and their union against the drivers and riders. It pits the riders against the drivers and benefits management,” says Lamia Bensouda of Social Strike.net. She also said that drivers from generations of families who have driven for MUNI are a part of the collaboration, and that these drivers are well versed on the policies, practices, and history of MUNI and its management.
MUNI Public Relations Officer Alan Siegel says that he’s heard rumors about planned strikes.
“We heard about a driver wildcat strike and this social strike. Their union says they won’t happen, and we’rehopeful that they won’t.”
Union representative, John Dudley, says members of the union aren’t supposed to strike on their own, and if the San Francisco City government authorizes fare increases, there is nothing they can do about it.
The fact that Michael Burns, MUNI Executive Director, is stepping down will not affect the plight of the transportation agency or the impending social strike.
“Its not who’s running the agency from the top seat, it’s the system itself. These frequent fare increases prove how poorly MUNI manages money. Drivers and riders are abused,” says Ehssan Vandaei, also of Social Strike.net.
A series of educational community meetings about the social strike will be held in various spots around town. The social strike itself may well go on after the first day in a continuous manner akin to Critical Mass, the monthly bike riders’ congregation. Exactly how it will be implemented, though, is still being examined by organizers. In the mean time, further details on the strike as well as legal resources for those punished for not paying fares while striking, will be published on http://www.socialstrike.net.
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It's really important to ramp up efforts to get the word out about the fare strike as loudly and widely as possible. In that spirit, yesterday I sent the following letter to the SF Examiner in response to a "libertarian" letter writer who hailed privatization of Muni as the solution to its ills and dismissed out-of-hand calls for the rich to pay:
Editor,
One should never expect a self-fashioned libertarian
to pass up an opportunity to preach the restorative
powers of the market, so Starchild’s call for
wholesale privatization of Muni [Letters, August 15]
is utterly predictable.
In Starchild’s world, Muni is a fetter on the “free
market” and a tax-burden on business dynamism. In the
real world, Muni is an indispensable infrastructural
support for downtown business. One need only take a
quick glance to see that Muni’s first priority is to
shuttle tens of thousands to and from work each day.
As such, it operates as a massive subsidy to business,
with large employers being the greatest beneficiaries.
Of course, those profit-driven interests that benefit
from the present set-up don’t mind if we are forced to
pay more, wait longer, and endure increasingly crowded
accommodations on our way to work. All they care is
that we show up each day. This explains the beauty of
the ever-growing movement for a September 1st fare
strike against fare increases, service cuts, and
lay-offs: If we refuse to pay, they’ll run the buses
and trains anyway.
A.H.
Editor,
One should never expect a self-fashioned libertarian
to pass up an opportunity to preach the restorative
powers of the market, so Starchild’s call for
wholesale privatization of Muni [Letters, August 15]
is utterly predictable.
In Starchild’s world, Muni is a fetter on the “free
market” and a tax-burden on business dynamism. In the
real world, Muni is an indispensable infrastructural
support for downtown business. One need only take a
quick glance to see that Muni’s first priority is to
shuttle tens of thousands to and from work each day.
As such, it operates as a massive subsidy to business,
with large employers being the greatest beneficiaries.
Of course, those profit-driven interests that benefit
from the present set-up don’t mind if we are forced to
pay more, wait longer, and endure increasingly crowded
accommodations on our way to work. All they care is
that we show up each day. This explains the beauty of
the ever-growing movement for a September 1st fare
strike against fare increases, service cuts, and
lay-offs: If we refuse to pay, they’ll run the buses
and trains anyway.
A.H.
It's really important to ramp up efforts to get the word out about the fare strike as loudly and widely as possible. In that spirit, yesterday I sent the following letter to the SF Examiner in response to a "libertarian" letter writer who hailed privatization of Muni as the solution to its ills and dismissed out-of-hand calls for the rich to pay:
Editor,
One should never expect a self-fashioned libertarian
to pass up an opportunity to preach the restorative
powers of the market, so Starchild’s call for
wholesale privatization of Muni [Letters, August 15]
is utterly predictable.
In Starchild’s world, Muni is a fetter on the “free
market” and a tax-burden on business dynamism. In the
real world, Muni is an indispensable infrastructural
support for downtown business. One need only take a
quick glance to see that Muni’s first priority is to
shuttle tens of thousands to and from work each day.
As such, it operates as a massive subsidy to business,
with large employers being the greatest beneficiaries.
Of course, those profit-driven interests that benefit
from the present set-up don’t mind if we are forced to
pay more, wait longer, and endure increasingly crowded
accommodations on our way to work. All they care is
that we show up each day. This explains the beauty of
the ever-growing movement for a September 1st fare
strike against fare increases, service cuts, and
lay-offs: If we refuse to pay, they’ll run the buses
and trains anyway.
A.H.
Editor,
One should never expect a self-fashioned libertarian
to pass up an opportunity to preach the restorative
powers of the market, so Starchild’s call for
wholesale privatization of Muni [Letters, August 15]
is utterly predictable.
In Starchild’s world, Muni is a fetter on the “free
market” and a tax-burden on business dynamism. In the
real world, Muni is an indispensable infrastructural
support for downtown business. One need only take a
quick glance to see that Muni’s first priority is to
shuttle tens of thousands to and from work each day.
As such, it operates as a massive subsidy to business,
with large employers being the greatest beneficiaries.
Of course, those profit-driven interests that benefit
from the present set-up don’t mind if we are forced to
pay more, wait longer, and endure increasingly crowded
accommodations on our way to work. All they care is
that we show up each day. This explains the beauty of
the ever-growing movement for a September 1st fare
strike against fare increases, service cuts, and
lay-offs: If we refuse to pay, they’ll run the buses
and trains anyway.
A.H.
please delete one of my two postings--I posted twice because my first post appeared to have been erased. delete this as well..
i like the idea, but it sounds a little wooden. fess up, you are iso or something, aren't you?
and why the graphic of the 1950s bus? want to go back to the days of the cold war or something?
maybe if you didn't sound so much like a time warp out a period in the distant past, people might listen. maybe a little less preachy and more about how the hell we're going getting on the bus without paying. i'll try to do the strike though.
s.f.
and why the graphic of the 1950s bus? want to go back to the days of the cold war or something?
maybe if you didn't sound so much like a time warp out a period in the distant past, people might listen. maybe a little less preachy and more about how the hell we're going getting on the bus without paying. i'll try to do the strike though.
s.f.
just go to the website. you wieners are complaining about stuff, this is just one article, one persons written take on this. go learn more about what it is at the source and then make your comments.
For more information:
http://www.socialstrike.net
The ISO wouldn't come near any real direct action, you know that, altho i'm sure, most of the organizers would welcome their participation, like they welcome everybody's. Using a graphic of the past does not mean the organizers want to go back to the era the graphic was amde. That's just silly carping. What do you do other than carp? (That's not a rhetorical question.)
To get on a bus withoiut paying, you put one foot in front of the other, and you say good morning ms or mr. driver, i'm on strike, and i'm not paying, and neither is naybody else, and you find a seat like you normally do. Amen. End of sermon.
this line:
*Social Strike.net is a group of concerned riders and drivers who take pride in their “non-reformist” grassroots tactics to form a working class solidarity to challenge MUNI’s proposed changes.*
come on *take pride* is dogma. this crap could only be written by trotskyites. come on, fess up, you're just a front group, aren't you? if not trots, then maoist or some other sect.
i know if i go to one of your meetings, the first thing is the newspapers come out and then you try to recruit me.
i'd rather just protest by not paying my fare than have to listen to you lecture.
you're not fooling anyone!!!
*Social Strike.net is a group of concerned riders and drivers who take pride in their “non-reformist” grassroots tactics to form a working class solidarity to challenge MUNI’s proposed changes.*
come on *take pride* is dogma. this crap could only be written by trotskyites. come on, fess up, you're just a front group, aren't you? if not trots, then maoist or some other sect.
i know if i go to one of your meetings, the first thing is the newspapers come out and then you try to recruit me.
i'd rather just protest by not paying my fare than have to listen to you lecture.
you're not fooling anyone!!!
Mass working class direct action against market relations isn't what icepickheads and Stalinists are about.
This has more in common with the perspectives of real enemies of capitalist exploitation, like the Situationists. So, spare me the references to the International Socialworkers' Organization. (ISO) It has nothing in common with those guys.
This has more in common with the perspectives of real enemies of capitalist exploitation, like the Situationists. So, spare me the references to the International Socialworkers' Organization. (ISO) It has nothing in common with those guys.
Why are so many people so blind live the same way for ever do what "They" say no matter what it is no matter at what cost . The fair strike just won't happen because most people are beat if not down right happy the way things are in this country , hell who I'm I to say what is right or wrong , I mean if people are happy being affread living in fear so be it .
I my self got tired of fighting all the time I mean tha's really what it takes to change any thing you can loose a lot of everything in and around you - just so that you be silent - SO I'M LEAVING THIS COUNTRY behind me for good or take my own life witch being happy is the same thing to me , so I go .
The fare strike just won't happen , people will still pay what ever outrages price to be happy , I mean people still pay for gas at almost $3.00 a gallon , so people will still pay a $1.50 to go to the Market street GAP to be happy - won't you .
I my self got tired of fighting all the time I mean tha's really what it takes to change any thing you can loose a lot of everything in and around you - just so that you be silent - SO I'M LEAVING THIS COUNTRY behind me for good or take my own life witch being happy is the same thing to me , so I go .
The fare strike just won't happen , people will still pay what ever outrages price to be happy , I mean people still pay for gas at almost $3.00 a gallon , so people will still pay a $1.50 to go to the Market street GAP to be happy - won't you .
Editor, please tell us what an *icepickheads* is. It is about a torturer?
"icepickheads" is one of those words that lets you know how some anarch8st have bought into red scare propaganda enough that they refer to the murder of Trotsky by Stalin in Mexico in a positive light. No matter what you think of Trotsky its pretty morbid and you wouldnt hear the same anarchist making bullet jokes about Kenedy so you wonder where its really comming from.
you all should visit the http://www.socialstrike website.
you can sign up to help out with the organizing http://www.socialstrike.net/help.php
you can send emails out to friends to let em know about the strike
http://www.socialstrike.net/emailfriend.php
you can send emails out to groups to ask them to endorse the strike
http://www.socialstrike.net/emailgroup.php
you can sign up to help out with the organizing http://www.socialstrike.net/help.php
you can send emails out to friends to let em know about the strike
http://www.socialstrike.net/emailfriend.php
you can send emails out to groups to ask them to endorse the strike
http://www.socialstrike.net/emailgroup.php
For more information:
http://www.socialstrike.net
First of all, most of the people organizing the social strike are non-sectarian anarchists. They have their views, but on an issue as big as trying to get actual riders and actual drivers to not pay or acccept fares, you need people who are tolerant of others. Including tolerance of those who are intolerant. Every rider and Muni employee are welcome/encouraged to help. Even those who don't normally ride MUNI ae encouraged to help. That's where this should end. Join the fight against fare hikes and service cuts.
But wait a minute, there's a few people including the person who asked the question in the first place--probably a republican troll (but maybe not) trying to stir up dissension, who think any mention of the working class immediately makes you a Marxist of one type or another. First off, neither Marx nor the anarchists invented the working class. In fact, it was the working class that invented them. The theories and doctrines that these people created, came out of the working class (and non-working class) ferment of its era. Like a big soup cauldron being stirred up, as you stir ideas float around and some of them make the soup tastier and some of them leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Some of those bitter people have ended up working on this issue. And they're welcome, altho they should try to leave their bitterness somewhere else.
Now for some specifics of what i was about to do. Marxism and Anarchism are a rich zoo of people of different stripes and tendencies. The majority of people today who call themselves Marxists today have accepted Leninism especially Vladimir Lenin's ideas of state socialism. Most of these fall into two camps, Stalinists and Trotskyists (the so-called ice-pickheads as wage-slave says (named because an agent of Stalin killed Trotsky with an icepick) are two branches of state socialism. They differ on which is the best way to repress people who come to revolutionary thought without them. Stalinists believe in direct repression. Trots believe in boring everybody and then shooting you in the back when you're not looking. By the way wage-slave is NOT an anarchist but a non-Leninist communist, the people lenin referred to having an infantile disorder.
For the record, i'm a 52 year old anarchist (been 1 for about 35 years now) who was never a Marxist. I've worked and still do with all kinds of people trying to make revolutionary change and bring abiut a truly free world.
But wait a minute, there's a few people including the person who asked the question in the first place--probably a republican troll (but maybe not) trying to stir up dissension, who think any mention of the working class immediately makes you a Marxist of one type or another. First off, neither Marx nor the anarchists invented the working class. In fact, it was the working class that invented them. The theories and doctrines that these people created, came out of the working class (and non-working class) ferment of its era. Like a big soup cauldron being stirred up, as you stir ideas float around and some of them make the soup tastier and some of them leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Some of those bitter people have ended up working on this issue. And they're welcome, altho they should try to leave their bitterness somewhere else.
Now for some specifics of what i was about to do. Marxism and Anarchism are a rich zoo of people of different stripes and tendencies. The majority of people today who call themselves Marxists today have accepted Leninism especially Vladimir Lenin's ideas of state socialism. Most of these fall into two camps, Stalinists and Trotskyists (the so-called ice-pickheads as wage-slave says (named because an agent of Stalin killed Trotsky with an icepick) are two branches of state socialism. They differ on which is the best way to repress people who come to revolutionary thought without them. Stalinists believe in direct repression. Trots believe in boring everybody and then shooting you in the back when you're not looking. By the way wage-slave is NOT an anarchist but a non-Leninist communist, the people lenin referred to having an infantile disorder.
For the record, i'm a 52 year old anarchist (been 1 for about 35 years now) who was never a Marxist. I've worked and still do with all kinds of people trying to make revolutionary change and bring abiut a truly free world.
For more information:
http://IRST OF ALL
I've heard anarchists make jokes about everything include Kennedy's death. An icepick is just easier to make fun of than a bullet.
That's because we know who *really* killed him. It was Elvis. He was jealous because Jack was porking Marilyn and he wasn't.
"An icepick is just easier to make fun of than a bullet."
Yeah but its not as funny as the Kronstadt with all the shooting of seamen or posts about Rachael Corrie calling her a pancake. Making fun of how people were killed by Stalin, Trotsky or the IDF just doesnt seem like something thats going to make people see your movement in a good light.
Yeah but its not as funny as the Kronstadt with all the shooting of seamen or posts about Rachael Corrie calling her a pancake. Making fun of how people were killed by Stalin, Trotsky or the IDF just doesnt seem like something thats going to make people see your movement in a good light.
the comment about putting an *icepick* is a celebration of stalin's henchmen. so, i have to conclude that the effort disguising itself as anarchist, is actually a bunch of young folks and a 52 year old being duped into a front group for some stalinist sectarian party.
but if you surf the indymedia threads, all of this has all the markings of a situationist hoax. the website given doesn't work and i imagine it's a fake too. the person who seems to have the monopoly on situationist pranks, and the celebration of stalinists killing trotsky, seems to be kevin keating. so, we have to conclude that this whole *social strike* is just a hoax cooked up by kevin and some of his stalinist friends. maybe as a front for the plp?
SFred
but if you surf the indymedia threads, all of this has all the markings of a situationist hoax. the website given doesn't work and i imagine it's a fake too. the person who seems to have the monopoly on situationist pranks, and the celebration of stalinists killing trotsky, seems to be kevin keating. so, we have to conclude that this whole *social strike* is just a hoax cooked up by kevin and some of his stalinist friends. maybe as a front for the plp?
SFred
im sure it will come up in a second. the host has been having difficulties.
Its always interesting to hear young activists, usually anarchists, talk about how sectarian groups like ANSWER, the ISO and others are alienating the workingclass and that somehow Trokistism, Maoism, Leninism and the like are white academnic ideologies while either liberalism or Anarchism will have wider appeal. Its a little patronizing to hear this type of talk when it comes to poor areas in the Bay Area since there are many more Maoist people of color (among the African American and Pilippino communities) here than white Maoists and there are many more Trots who were active in Mexico, Central and South America than there are members of all the white middle class Trot groups. This MUNI thing sounds pretty good but its irritating to hear rhetoric that treats people of color as blank slates ready to receive a new ideology ignoring the existing ativist groups within such communities.
the website definitely does not work. so maybe it is just a hoax.
could someone please confirm whether this thing is for real. or confirm that it's just an art school prank.
could someone please confirm whether this thing is for real. or confirm that it's just an art school prank.
The fare strike organizing is definitely no joke, whatever the present status may be of the Social Strike web-site. There are groups flyering every day in the morning, afternoon and early evening. Somewhere around 20,000 multilingual (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean) leaflets have been distributed in the past six weeks. Stickers and posters can be found all over the city. Virtually all the Muni operators are aware of plans for a fare strike starting September 1st. We get thumbs up from Muni workers *all the time* when we go out agitating.
Of course, we need to *continue* to get out the word far and wide. One important element--in addition to doing group presentations, carpet flyering, and postering--is through the media. The SF Examiner had a piece on the fare strike organizing and has published a couple letters in support. KCBS mentioned it the other day. Rachel Gordon of the SF Chronicle had a short blurb about it. KPFA had an interview with an organizer two weeks ago. The Street Sheet has printed the flyer mentioned above more than once, as has the BayView Newspaper. Next week the Bay Guardian will have a sympathetic piece on it. and received several letters. The Street Sheet has publicized it. The Bay Guardian will have a piece about it in its next issue. Chinese-speaking media have expressed interest and will lend an assist in promoting the fare strike. And soon there will be a press conference...
The long and short is that sectarian battles about ideology are irrelevant. Dean is wrong--it's simply inaccurate to say that most of the organizers are self-ID'd anarchists. This thing is a lot bigger than that.
Of course, we need to *continue* to get out the word far and wide. One important element--in addition to doing group presentations, carpet flyering, and postering--is through the media. The SF Examiner had a piece on the fare strike organizing and has published a couple letters in support. KCBS mentioned it the other day. Rachel Gordon of the SF Chronicle had a short blurb about it. KPFA had an interview with an organizer two weeks ago. The Street Sheet has printed the flyer mentioned above more than once, as has the BayView Newspaper. Next week the Bay Guardian will have a sympathetic piece on it. and received several letters. The Street Sheet has publicized it. The Bay Guardian will have a piece about it in its next issue. Chinese-speaking media have expressed interest and will lend an assist in promoting the fare strike. And soon there will be a press conference...
The long and short is that sectarian battles about ideology are irrelevant. Dean is wrong--it's simply inaccurate to say that most of the organizers are self-ID'd anarchists. This thing is a lot bigger than that.
hey, the website is there. its possible that at times the thing goes down through no fault of our own. we do what we can, activist hosting is not like corporate hosting. anyway its back up now if you want to check it out.
For more information:
http://socialstrike.net
it seems like you all don't want your thing to work!
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds or people; those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be the first group; there's less competition there." -- Indira Gandhi
this IS real this WILL happen and this is NOT a prank the website DOES work and this social strike WILL work!
The Social Strike will probably work in terms of getting a little media coverage and having a few buses be free for the day. On the other hand, it wont be a widespread strike and since it will only last a day and it wont have much impact on MUNI.
"They realized that they are all working class people who rely on MUNI for transportation and jobs."
That sums up one of the major problems with the organizing. San Francisco is one of the richest cities in the country and with no parking downtown the majority of people who ride the bus to work are not exactly poor. Strangely I would expect the strike to be more effective among richer riders than poorer ones since overall wealthier riders will have less to lose. Many of the poorer communities targeted for the strike are immigrant communities where people riding to work are not going to want to risk being late to work due to police harassment and may be worried enough about immigration status issues that risking everything (even if getting caught is highly unlikely) to make a statement about bus fare wont make sense. A businessman downtown making six figures may still be greedy enough to not want to pay $1.50 and has nothing to lose if they can easilly afford the fine for not having a ticket if they do happen to get caught. To be widespread the organizing around this would have to be aimed at the middle class.
"They realized that they are all working class people who rely on MUNI for transportation and jobs."
That sums up one of the major problems with the organizing. San Francisco is one of the richest cities in the country and with no parking downtown the majority of people who ride the bus to work are not exactly poor. Strangely I would expect the strike to be more effective among richer riders than poorer ones since overall wealthier riders will have less to lose. Many of the poorer communities targeted for the strike are immigrant communities where people riding to work are not going to want to risk being late to work due to police harassment and may be worried enough about immigration status issues that risking everything (even if getting caught is highly unlikely) to make a statement about bus fare wont make sense. A businessman downtown making six figures may still be greedy enough to not want to pay $1.50 and has nothing to lose if they can easilly afford the fine for not having a ticket if they do happen to get caught. To be widespread the organizing around this would have to be aimed at the middle class.
It includes many kinds of people and many kinds of workers, most of whom have papers. It also includes a great many non-workers, elderly, disabeld and unemployed people. A lot of them take the bus. Most of the White, Black, Chinese (the leaflets in Chinese have been getting a good reception), Korean, Other Asian, and even Latino workers workers snd poor people are "legal". If w eall don't pay. they can't arrest all of us. That's the nature of how it works. The more who participate, the less chance any one person will get arrested.
The problem with depending on "middle-class" people to win this battle is that they can afford the rate hike and therefore it is less in their interest to striek. I hope all people who use MUNI will join the strike no matter what income, becuase besides the strike being for keeping the already high fare going up even higher, it's also against the service cutbacks.
Remember, get on the bus, say good morning Mr. or Ms. driver, i and all the rest of the people on this bus are not paying our fare and sit down. It's just that simple.
I find it interesting that with all the cutbacks and fare hikes that MUNI can afford security personnel like i've seen recently at 16th & Mission to prevent back-door entries (a great San Francisco tradition). I wonder if these junior police are practicing for the Strike. If so they will be surprised becuase unless its totally necessariy people shouldn't enter the bus by going iin the back door, but by going in the front door. The drivers are generally supportive, and evenif they're not what can they od if we all say "we can't pay, we won't pay."
The problem with depending on "middle-class" people to win this battle is that they can afford the rate hike and therefore it is less in their interest to striek. I hope all people who use MUNI will join the strike no matter what income, becuase besides the strike being for keeping the already high fare going up even higher, it's also against the service cutbacks.
Remember, get on the bus, say good morning Mr. or Ms. driver, i and all the rest of the people on this bus are not paying our fare and sit down. It's just that simple.
I find it interesting that with all the cutbacks and fare hikes that MUNI can afford security personnel like i've seen recently at 16th & Mission to prevent back-door entries (a great San Francisco tradition). I wonder if these junior police are practicing for the Strike. If so they will be surprised becuase unless its totally necessariy people shouldn't enter the bus by going iin the back door, but by going in the front door. The drivers are generally supportive, and evenif they're not what can they od if we all say "we can't pay, we won't pay."
To the poster: *by dont put yer name up dumby*
Why don't you put up your name ASSHOLE!
Why don't you put up your name ASSHOLE!
<<Strangely I would expect the strike to be more effective among richer riders than poorer ones since overall wealthier riders will have less to lose.>>
Those are the words of someone who doesn't know what the hell s/he's talking about.
As one of many of the people who's handed out the two-sided quadralingual fare strike flyer in a bunch of places around the city I can say with authority that the fare strike's appeal is found extremely-disproportionatly among poor and working class riders. White men in collared shirts are by far the least receptive with white women in analogous dress being the second least receptive.
There are logistical questions that need to be addressed as far as getting the fare strike rolling. But if it gets going, and is seen as having strength, it will spread like wild-fire. There's that much discontent out there.
Those are the words of someone who doesn't know what the hell s/he's talking about.
As one of many of the people who's handed out the two-sided quadralingual fare strike flyer in a bunch of places around the city I can say with authority that the fare strike's appeal is found extremely-disproportionatly among poor and working class riders. White men in collared shirts are by far the least receptive with white women in analogous dress being the second least receptive.
There are logistical questions that need to be addressed as far as getting the fare strike rolling. But if it gets going, and is seen as having strength, it will spread like wild-fire. There's that much discontent out there.
" I can say with authority that the fare strike's appeal is found extremely-disproportionatly among poor and working class riders"
I didn't say sympathy would be higher among the middle class and wealthy riders just that since such a population has less to lose its a population more willing to do things that can have legal consequences. When the Iraq war started, the poorer population in SF may have been much more sympathetric to the city shutdown but most of those arrested were middle class or activists with flexible jobs (usually from middle class backgrounds). When it comes to an organized fare strike Republican businessmen are going to openly disagree with such a strike but will be the first to not pay when given the opportunity wheras someone who risks their job if they are late to work may support such a strike in theory but not take part for practical reasons.
The majority of MUNI traffic I would guess to be work related and only the middle class portions of those groups is likely to risk arrest if the bus driver doesnt tell them they dont have to pay fare. More casual traffic and activists riding around without paying for the point of not paying will cross class boundaries but on nonfull buses its not exactly a protest action to ride the bus and not pay if you wouldnt normally have ridden (since it has no monetary effect on MUNI).
So far I dont get a great feeling about how this is going to go since a quick look at Google still has discussion issolated to just a few sites:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=MUNI+fare+strike&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=social+strike&btnG=Search
with the Guardian even having a small negative article about it:
http://www.sfbg.com/39/47/news_fare.html
and no coverage in the Bay View that I can see
http://www.sfbayview.com/
More outreach could help but so far the discussion on here and other places has a sectarian feel about it with almost a hostle attitude towards other groups that could be doing outreach (such as the icepick reference above). Every sectarian faction likes to think that they have the message for the workingclass masses and if they didnt have those other sectarian groups getting in the way they would get widespread support but Ive never seen any reasonably sized action take place without cooperation between activist groups. For some kinds of protests having a postleft small protest with just community members you get by hading out flyers could work but with a fare strike needing a lot of public support to work, I dont see this working unless the drivers really are going to help out a lot and tell people they dont have to pay.
I didn't say sympathy would be higher among the middle class and wealthy riders just that since such a population has less to lose its a population more willing to do things that can have legal consequences. When the Iraq war started, the poorer population in SF may have been much more sympathetric to the city shutdown but most of those arrested were middle class or activists with flexible jobs (usually from middle class backgrounds). When it comes to an organized fare strike Republican businessmen are going to openly disagree with such a strike but will be the first to not pay when given the opportunity wheras someone who risks their job if they are late to work may support such a strike in theory but not take part for practical reasons.
The majority of MUNI traffic I would guess to be work related and only the middle class portions of those groups is likely to risk arrest if the bus driver doesnt tell them they dont have to pay fare. More casual traffic and activists riding around without paying for the point of not paying will cross class boundaries but on nonfull buses its not exactly a protest action to ride the bus and not pay if you wouldnt normally have ridden (since it has no monetary effect on MUNI).
So far I dont get a great feeling about how this is going to go since a quick look at Google still has discussion issolated to just a few sites:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=MUNI+fare+strike&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=social+strike&btnG=Search
with the Guardian even having a small negative article about it:
http://www.sfbg.com/39/47/news_fare.html
and no coverage in the Bay View that I can see
http://www.sfbayview.com/
More outreach could help but so far the discussion on here and other places has a sectarian feel about it with almost a hostle attitude towards other groups that could be doing outreach (such as the icepick reference above). Every sectarian faction likes to think that they have the message for the workingclass masses and if they didnt have those other sectarian groups getting in the way they would get widespread support but Ive never seen any reasonably sized action take place without cooperation between activist groups. For some kinds of protests having a postleft small protest with just community members you get by hading out flyers could work but with a fare strike needing a lot of public support to work, I dont see this working unless the drivers really are going to help out a lot and tell people they dont have to pay.
Well, I agree with you about sectarianism; however, I think you'd be hard-pressed to name a struggle in the recent past that has gotten the word out more widely than has the fare strike. Upwards of 20,000 leaflets in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean have been distributed in the past six weeks informing Muni riders about the nature of the coming attacks and offering a strategy for fighting them. Thousands more posters, stickers, and "strike transfers"--also multilingual--have been passed out. Many more of all of these will be going out and *up* in the coming days and weeks.
In spite of what you say, the fare strike has gotten a decent amount of media exposure in the last several weeks--and will certainly get a lot more in the next week. There has been an article in the SF Examiner and letters pro and con in response; KCBS made mention of it the other day; the Chronicle ran something about it; the BayView newspaper has printed the call for a fare strike at least once as has the Street Sheet more than once; El Reportero had a front page picture--with a caption--of a fare strike organizer handing out a leaflet; a Chinese language--Lin Pao--has expressed interest in running an article; KPFA had a short segment recently..and then there was yesterday's weak-ass piece in the Bay Garbage Can (see my letter in response below).
I make no claim that this is in the bag. It's an inherently difficult type of action to pull off. Your criticisms, however, smack of easy (and, I must say, incoherent--Republican businessmen are more likely to strike than are immigrant workers?!?!) sideline carping. If you support the fare strike, why not do something to make it happen? I see no evidence that you've done a damn thing to agitate for real opposition to fare hikes, service cuts, and mass lay-offs.
Here's my response to Matthew Hirsch's lame-brained article on fare strike organizing printed yesterday's Guardian (note that it's directed to the author and not the word cemetary known as the Guardian's letter's section):
Matthew,
I'm sending this line to tell you that I'm completely
disgusted by the article you penned on calls for a
Muni fare strike. Not only does it in effect shit on
the drive for a strike but it also is a text-book
example of shoddy, light-weight journalism.
One would have to get out a fucking microscope to know
from your piece that Muni is not only raising fares
but also cutting service and laying off drivers. The
fact that MANY LINES ARE BEING CUT and UP TO 200
DRIVERS ARE BEING LAYED-OFF is nowhere reflected in
your article. Not one driver is interviewed. Nor is a
single Muni rider. I don't see any quotes from any of the strike organizers you spoke to for over an hour. You didn't bother to quote ANY of thematerial being distributed in behalf of the farestrike. You didn't mention that THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS of leaflets in four languages have been
handed-out and that crews continue to hit the streets
every day talking to people and giving them info about
the strike. Instead we (those of us organizing) are
referred to simply as "a small, loose-knit group
that's calling the strike" who don't have the support
of unnamed labor and community organizations which are
(apparently) the "most vocal opponents of the rate
hike" to which you refer in your headline.
Now, you certainly felt comfortable giving these "most
vocal opponents" (and their "enemies" at Muni) a lot
of play. But what the FUCK do they propose? Nothing!
They're completely irrelevant. Yet you allowed the
views of these pwogwessive cowards to frame your
entire worthless piece.
aaron
In spite of what you say, the fare strike has gotten a decent amount of media exposure in the last several weeks--and will certainly get a lot more in the next week. There has been an article in the SF Examiner and letters pro and con in response; KCBS made mention of it the other day; the Chronicle ran something about it; the BayView newspaper has printed the call for a fare strike at least once as has the Street Sheet more than once; El Reportero had a front page picture--with a caption--of a fare strike organizer handing out a leaflet; a Chinese language--Lin Pao--has expressed interest in running an article; KPFA had a short segment recently..and then there was yesterday's weak-ass piece in the Bay Garbage Can (see my letter in response below).
I make no claim that this is in the bag. It's an inherently difficult type of action to pull off. Your criticisms, however, smack of easy (and, I must say, incoherent--Republican businessmen are more likely to strike than are immigrant workers?!?!) sideline carping. If you support the fare strike, why not do something to make it happen? I see no evidence that you've done a damn thing to agitate for real opposition to fare hikes, service cuts, and mass lay-offs.
Here's my response to Matthew Hirsch's lame-brained article on fare strike organizing printed yesterday's Guardian (note that it's directed to the author and not the word cemetary known as the Guardian's letter's section):
Matthew,
I'm sending this line to tell you that I'm completely
disgusted by the article you penned on calls for a
Muni fare strike. Not only does it in effect shit on
the drive for a strike but it also is a text-book
example of shoddy, light-weight journalism.
One would have to get out a fucking microscope to know
from your piece that Muni is not only raising fares
but also cutting service and laying off drivers. The
fact that MANY LINES ARE BEING CUT and UP TO 200
DRIVERS ARE BEING LAYED-OFF is nowhere reflected in
your article. Not one driver is interviewed. Nor is a
single Muni rider. I don't see any quotes from any of the strike organizers you spoke to for over an hour. You didn't bother to quote ANY of thematerial being distributed in behalf of the farestrike. You didn't mention that THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS of leaflets in four languages have been
handed-out and that crews continue to hit the streets
every day talking to people and giving them info about
the strike. Instead we (those of us organizing) are
referred to simply as "a small, loose-knit group
that's calling the strike" who don't have the support
of unnamed labor and community organizations which are
(apparently) the "most vocal opponents of the rate
hike" to which you refer in your headline.
Now, you certainly felt comfortable giving these "most
vocal opponents" (and their "enemies" at Muni) a lot
of play. But what the FUCK do they propose? Nothing!
They're completely irrelevant. Yet you allowed the
views of these pwogwessive cowards to frame your
entire worthless piece.
aaron
I work downtown (pink collar) and i ride a mui bus and a muni train to get there. On the bus i see a really broad mix of people, lots of working class people, old folks, etc; the trains are more of the downtown drone tupes, but, ahem many of us who work downtown have to res nice and what not, but we make significantly less than those considered working class, ie, bus drivers, mechanics, etc; we get paid shit.
and, my boss? he is wealthy, and he drives his car, he pays for a spot in the garage. so, i think althoguh they may not look ike your steretype of what "working class" people are "supposed" to look like, lots of the regular muni riders are working class.
Me, I want to participate in the strike, but I'm a little worried about getting on the bus with my kid and not paying and having a big scene that will scare her. I wonder if anyone has any good suggestions about that?
and, my boss? he is wealthy, and he drives his car, he pays for a spot in the garage. so, i think althoguh they may not look ike your steretype of what "working class" people are "supposed" to look like, lots of the regular muni riders are working class.
Me, I want to participate in the strike, but I'm a little worried about getting on the bus with my kid and not paying and having a big scene that will scare her. I wonder if anyone has any good suggestions about that?
Many Muni drivers are sympathetic to the fare strike because, if nothing else, they're getting messed over too. Of those that take a "whatever" attitude about the fare strike, most or many really don't care if you don't pay. Just get on the bus and announce that you're not paying. Having a kid, if anything, will make it even easier (mama sympathy).
The Social Strike people have made cool social strike transfers that may make getting on Muni more comfortable (sometimes a prop can be helpful). You can contact them through their website.
The Social Strike people have made cool social strike transfers that may make getting on Muni more comfortable (sometimes a prop can be helpful). You can contact them through their website.
Anyone who works because they have to, is a worker. A high paid worker is a worker. A low paid worker is a worker. An unemployed worker is a worker. A self employed worker is a worker. A retired worker is a worker. A disabled worker is a worker. A houseworker is a worker. And a student is a worker in training.
Anyone who doesn’t work because others work for them, is a boss.
There are two kinds of people, bosses and workers. Bosses are parasites. Workers don’t need bosses. The worker self-owned, worker self-managed workplace is the way of the future. Either work to make it happen or get out of the way.
Anyone who doesn’t work because others work for them, is a boss.
There are two kinds of people, bosses and workers. Bosses are parasites. Workers don’t need bosses. The worker self-owned, worker self-managed workplace is the way of the future. Either work to make it happen or get out of the way.
Let me get this straight. A "social strike" is being held, encouraging people to break the law and not pay fares, because of a .25 cent fare hike? Is this really the most important thing you can all come up with to protest? Do you realize that the reason Muni probably needs the money is to pay the unionized workers that you also demonstrate for? Hilarious.
add your comments
add your comments
you've succumbed to the propaganda if you believe that it's the unions that have caused the Muni shortfall---do some research before you make such wild, off base assertions. It's like believing the terminator's "paycheck-protection" act on the ballot, that prevents unions from using their money to affect politics will do anything to 'protect your paycheck'.
Good fucking luck!!!!!!
The fare strike isn't only in opposition to increased fares. It's just as much in opposition to layoffs and service cuts affecting more than 30 Muni lines.
Tomorrow morning, supporters of the fare strike will be amassing at key junctions around the city to promote the strike; in the evening there will be a big presence (particularly) in the downtown area. Everyone is welcome to help this action be the best action it can be.
Tomorrow morning, supporters of the fare strike will be amassing at key junctions around the city to promote the strike; in the evening there will be a big presence (particularly) in the downtown area. Everyone is welcome to help this action be the best action it can be.
So, looks like the vaunted fare strike revolution was a non-event, as patrons paid their fares and people realized that .25 really isn't that much and the fares are quite reasonable when compared to other means of transportion.
I told ya all that NOTHING was going to happen . I stayed around town today 9-1 started at 6:30 am . Just about every one payed from the N-line TO J-line and the busses I observed , 14 , 49 , 32 , 5 , 7, 9 , and so on till about 6:30 pm. I even told people that there was a fare strike on but most people looked at me with blank faces and contempt and a few others looks . Well I could not think of a better way of spending a day of work... well yes I can . The same shit , maybe some looting might go on that might be fun..wishful thinking .
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