I support strong labor, but this is annoying.

ITA. This doesn't even seem to be about labor rights at this point, it's about Roger Toussaint proving that he's got bigger balls than Pataki. I say, lock 'em in a room with a scale and a ruler and get it the fuck over with.

I don't have a problem with labor unions going to bat for the next generation of workers -- that's what unions do. I have a HUGE problem with Roger Toussaint and his personal dick-waving contest.

it will instead be paying for (not even half) of my ... root canal.

Yikes! That sucks. Is it causing you a lot of pain now? Did you get your ticket refunded?

Most or all of my bonus might end up going for my share of all my Dr. bills. But I probably won't have to start paying out large sums of money until next month. Then in Feb comes the tax refund....

Also, it sounds like even the MTA's proposed changes to the benefits still put the transit workers right in line with other people with really good benefits packages.

And I'm currently in the midst of an email campaign about the in-class final I'm supposed to be taking tomorrow night.

Canada is the new France at least for a little bit.

[link]

I'm all loaded up with antibiotics and painkillers (which I haven't even had to use yet) so I'm hoping to put it off until the after the new year when I can work my FSA magic to make the payment part less painful. Of course, my FSA isn't nearly big enough now, since of course the word came down on this right after the deadline to change my withholding.

I don't have a problem with labor unions going to bat for the next generation of workers -- that's what unions do.

I don't have a problem with that in principle-- though they should always put the welfare of the current union members over people who don't exist. But it's a free labor market. Future employees have free will-- if the MTA is not competitive, they will have trouble hiring people. Future hires may have a serious problem with pension obligations meaning that the MTA can't hire them in the first place, let alone what happens to them after 25 years there.

Timelies,

Skipped 700 posts.

I had my annual work physical this morning, which meant fasting for 12 hours before hand. Not being able to eat or get caffeine in my system first thing in the morning is unpleasant.

Speaking of unpleasant, I hope the strike ends quickly for the NYers. I can't imagine dealing with that kind of a mess to commute.

Speaking of commutes (just to keep the stream of consciousness going), any Chicagoistas want to weigh in on my planning here? Coming from the WI border, I need to be in the north side by 8am tomorrow morning, which mapquest tells me will take just over an hour. Taking into account rush hour traffic, does leaving at 6am sound reasonible, or am I over-compensating for the traffic?

Future employees have free will-- if the MTA is not competitive, they will have trouble hiring people.

Isn't that the argument they always make for abolishing the minimum wage?

Future hires may have a serious problem with pension obligations meaning that the MTA can't hire them in the first place, let alone what happens to them after 25 years there.

That's not a small problem, though.

Coming from the WI border, I need to be in the north side by 8am tomorrow morning, which mapquest tells me will take just over an hour. Taking into account rush hour traffic, does leaving at 6am sound reasonible, or am I over-compensating for the traffic?

In the north side where? That's more than enough time for the highway part, but how far you have to go from the highway can make a difference.

Unfortunate product label: [link]

If anyone was sending packages via UPS that may have transited through Idaho, check your tracking numbers. A UPS truck caught fire here in Utah. It was one of those two-trailer jobbies, and fortunately it was only the trailer with the Christmas packages that got scorched because the other trailer was carrying hazardous materials.