Rodzinski and I aren't going to work. His bosses seem pretty understanding and he is salaried so I think he should be okay- as long as the strike ends soon and he is able to get to work to finish everything up so that we can leave on Friday night.
Today is a GMHC day for me and they are super understanding and know that I cannot get 160 blocks (approx 8-9 miles) to work during the strike. The problem is that I am an hourly employee and so I will not earn any money for the shifts I cannot do. And that is my only source of income right now...
I think that the transit workers union has gone too far, and even though I seriously question the MTA's business practices, it's hard for me to support the workers. I think they are being very unrealistic with their demands. As you guys know, I'm training to become a social worker, and when I graduate in May with my masters degree, I will make nowhere near what the transit workers make. And I will have to pay for a portion of my health coverage, and I will have no hope of retiring at age 55 without a winning lottery ticket. And that's okay because it's what I chose.
But, tomorrow, I won't be able to get to work at my internship, and I won't be able to tell my children why I'm not there. Each day that passes where I cannot get to work, I will have less sympathy for the workers. I'm all for the process of negotiations and striking, but not when the demands have gotten out of control. I don't want to diminish the job that they do and everyone deserves a fair shake, but these are not 12 year old children losing limbs in a meat factory.