NYC Subway and Bus Strike

Maybe if you stood up for your rights, you wouldn't have to sit back and be jealous of MTA workers.

As the details of the contract emerge, man, it looks more and more like a BIG win not only for the TWU members but for all municipal workers.

 

Big win for the labor movement despite the press being against them. Now we got to keep the focus on the corrupt MTA and Pataki's shenanigans.

 

Did MTA cut a side deal with the TWU behind Pataki's back?
If TWU members are refunded $135 million while being fined $35 million, they will receive $95 million windfall for striking. It would also seem that they would save millions on pension contributions.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/379521p-322240c.html

 

First of all, we need to find out if this was kept from Pataki or not. It's hard to believe he was unaware of something like this going on. The press will get to the bottom of it eventually. But even if Pataki vetos the pension legislation, this side deal means the MTA is legally responsible to shell out the money anyway. Both the MTA and TWU acknowledge this item was agreed upon prior to the strike and was not a contentious issue. I want to know, if Toussaint actually had this deal in his back pocket, why he still felt compelled to call a strike.

It seems he gave in on the health care issue in return for this pension "bonus," along with getting removed from negotiations the issue of an increase from 2% to 6% in pension take-out for new hires. Current workers now will have to contribute 1.5% of their earnings for health insurance premiums instead of nothing. The MTA is claiming it will gain $103.3 million over the three years of the new contract. It says it would have gained only $19.3 on the pension proposal.

Those in the union opposed to the new contract are protesting today and urging a "no" vote, and the union is going to delay it's ratification vote until after the MTA board votes to approve the deal. The MTA has said it will not vote until the deal ratified by the TWU membership, which is how it has historically been done.

If the deal falls apart, negotiations will resume and there could be a resumption of the strike.

The MTA is going to urge the state to revoke the union's "check-off" privilages, in which dues are collected through payroll deductions. And there's still the $3 million in fines against the union and the fines against individual members. New York City may also go to court in an attempt to fine the membership $25,000 each for the strike, but I haven't heard any comments from Bloomberg on that during the last few days. He may be waiting to see how everything else begins to shake out before moving on that.

Next court date: January 20.

 

A good opportunity to thoroughly clean the subway. Anyway I wonder how so many affluent people in New York still ride it despite all that dirt and smell. That subway station in "Chinatown" (near Lafayette) two years ago was one of the most disgusting experiences in my life, first and last time I rode the subway in NY.

 

IMO, small price to pay for 24x7 service. I was shocked that major cities in Europe closed around 1am.

 

Perhaps that's when the stations are cleaned!

 

So guess what the hell happens today...

22,000 ballots were cast by members of the Transit Workers Union and the goddamn contract is rejected by 7 votes!!!

It's back to the bargaining table, but nobody is talking about a strike. Roger Toussaint appears pissed. He pushed hard to get this through.