It's unfortunate that Port Authority Transit workers are trying to negotiate a new labor contract in a year when fuel prices have gone through the roof and the state failed to come up with a long-term formula for funding transit.

The Allegheny County system's 2,300 workers, who have been working since June 30 without a contract, want a decent pay raise and assurance it won't be eaten away entirely by high contributions to health insurance premiums. All that is understandable, but circumstances are stacked against them.

They're considering a strike the day after Thanksgiving, which would inconvenience some Christmas shoppers. A much bigger deal will be the commuters who have to find alternative ways to work that day, then in greater numbers the following Monday. For many of the 259,000 who typically ride with the Port Authority each day, that won't be easy because they don't own cars.

A strike now would affect more people than usual. Ridership rose 5.6 percent in September, mainly because of skyrocketing gas prices. Although higher ridership is certainly a good thing, a walkout is guaranteed to drive customers away.

Higher fuel prices are hurting the Port Authority as well. Last spring, when it was paying $1.44 a gallon for diesel, the system budgeted for an increase of 14 cents a gallon. But that's significantly short of the current cost -- $1.87 a gallon as of yesterday and an average of $2 a gallon since September.

The fuel cost shortfall exacerbates an already dire situation for the transit system. The state came through with $45 million to help the authority last summer, preventing imposition of harsh service cuts and fare hikes. The Legislature and the governor, however, have yet to come up with a stable and reliable method for funding transit that would put an end to the annual crisis.

With this year's funding, the Port Authority still needed to cut $19 million to balance its budget. It planned to cover part of that by having workers pay a portion of their health insurance premiums under the new contract.

A strike in 2005 will only deepen the authority's financial woes and cost it riders, as did the 28-day walkout in 1992. Ultimately, that dispute ended only after the court intervened and negotiators produced a contract under which a driver now earns an average of $49,429 a year with overtime.

The Port Authority has done its best to live within the harsh reality of financial conditions not of its making. While anyone's desire for a raise is understandable, it would be best for these workers to adjust to reality as well.