San Francisco Muni riders are being told to once again expect major delays Tuesday morning, as the MTA is preparing for hundreds of workers to call in sick for the second day in a row.
Since Muni workers are not allowed to strike, the sick outs become the next best thing, according to protest leaders. But they cannot publicly declare, "don't come in."
The union representing Muni operators did not sanction or organize Monday's sick out. It appears that was put together by its members who are frustrated with contract negotiations.
And based on communication with Muni Tuesday morning, it appeared some of those workers might be calling in sick again--and they did. So far, nearly 300 workers have called in sick.
The transit agency has said it will have 300 vehicles in service Tuesday. That is 100 more than Monday but half the number of a normal day.
As a result, Muni said there will still be major impacts to service--and not just for those on their way to work.
“I was looking forward to the cable cars. My parents used to live here and they talked about how great everything was, so that would have been a great attraction to see," tourist Claudia Augenbroe said. "The fact that it’s not going on is kind of disappointing.”
The transit agency has released a memo to its employees, alerting them they will need a doctor's note if they want to get paid for Mondays sick out and any future sick outs including Tuesday's--if there is one.
On Monday, hundreds of Muni workers called in sick, causing long lines and major delays for San Francisco commuters. The transit operators are protesting a proposed labor contract with Muni--one that would pay them $32 an hour, the second-highest rate in the country.
This would also require workers to kick in an additional 7.5 percent towards their pension.
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Muni will be posting updates for riders on its Twitter account:
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