No Token Fight

When Philadelphia's transport workers walked off their jobs five weeks ago, they felt public pressure would quickly force the city to grant a contract boosting basic wages to $7.43 per hour by 1979. The workers are still walking, and so is a lot of Philadelphia, as the 400,000 people who used to ride the buses and trolleys every day have found other ways to get around.

After initial confusion, Philadelphians are coping with their crisis so well that they no longer seem to miss their public transportation. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, with the aid of two banks, organized more than 1,000 car pools. Bicyclists now weave through the streets. Botany '500' is using delivery trucks to bring 300 workers to its clothing-manufacturing plant; another company has rented a fleet of private buses. ConRail, now handling double its normal number of commuters, has reactivated mothballed equipment. Municipal agencies and many firms have staggered working hours, giving employees the option to come in any time between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and leave after putting in eight hours. Police are lenient about parking violations. City traffic is heavier, but moving smoothly.

Mayor Frank Rizzo's response to the Transport Workers Union: "Not one more dime."

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