Seven Million Hostages
In the middle of the holiday season, instead of continuing negotiation or finding a way to go to arbitration, the Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 decided to go on strike and halt MTA operations in New York City. Now that the transit system across the city has been shut down (with only few parts of the entire thing still running), the city has been damaged by the strike. In addition to losing out on valuable revenues, especially during this tourist season, many people across the city are also losing out on rent and food and gifts for the holidays because they cannot attend work.
The TWU has been very militant in its demands for the new contract. And because of the 30,000-plus workers going on strike, millions have been hurt. I hope the TWU Local 100 is happy with the results.
A state judge slapped the Local 100 with a heavy fine for breaking the law that prohibits these workers from striking.
"TWU local 100 may not get much help, if any, from its parent union, TWU International, which is giving Toussaint and his leadership the cold shoulder. That could mean Local 100 will be stuck with paying the brunt of the penalties amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars and even jail time."
I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The strike has drawn the hostile attention of many throughout the city, as evidenced by the massive amount of comments that were on the Local 100's blog, before the comments have been erased from the blog. Is some criticism too much for the Local 100? I hope they're happy with the result. The blog can be found here. I wonder how a transit worker will make a strike location if they normally use mass transit.
(Here is a sampling of a few of the comments, thanks to The Politicker)
A pathetic attempt at waging a PR war has been launched by the Local 100, with a commercial with four workers saying they had no choice because there is no respect and the MTA wants to raise the retirement age from 55 to 62 (which is still a good deal these days). Now, the union wants the age lowered to 50. A transit worker could then theorhetically be on pension longer than actually being on the job. For this, they will strike. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
Mayor Bloomberg has had some particularly nasty words to say to the union, saying their actions are "selfish and illegal." I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
"The city comptroller’s office says the city stands to lose $1.6 billion in the first week of a strike, with the hardest economic blow coming on the first day." That does not even count wages and commissions lost as well as added expenses for those that can find another way to work. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The union was generous enough not to strike on Friday morning, when the last contract ran out. From NY1:
The TWU then said early Friday evening that the union is willing to resume negotiations, claiming they “are not ready to abandon New York.”
WOW! Thank you so much for waiting for four days while we got into the middle of a workweek and closer to the holidays. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The union was generous enough to lower their wage demands slightly if the MTA would scale back disciplinary actions against workers. I wonder what would warrant such actions. The union is willing to compromise safety (though they say the MTA is compromising safety) in exchange for a few dollars? And when the MTA says no, they will reject arbitration and strike? I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
And as a result, the festive time that is Christmas in New York is marred by this squabble. The union didn't like what was happening so instead of continuing negotiations or going to arbitration and going without a contract for a while like the police and teachers have done, the Local 100 decided to take the ball and go home, crying that they don't want to play anymore. Then they decided to kick sand in the face of a bystander (the public). I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
From MSNBC:
Authorities began locking turnstiles and shuttering subway entrances shortly after the Transport Workers Union ordered the strike at 3 a.m., and commuters struggled through a rush hour filled with disorder. At one subway booth, a handwritten sign read, "Strike in Effect. Station Closed. Happy Holidays!!!!"
Roger Toussaint, President of the TWU Local 100
Grinch of New York
While the strike is in effect, a contingency plan for the city is in effect. Aside from the one LIRR branch that goes to Brooklyn and the former Command buses that are supposed to be running (I have yet to see a BM4 pass by my window on Nostrand Avenue today and I think I heard one bus, maybe, in the vicinity today), there is nothing that Brooklynites can do other than try to pay for a cab (who started gouging customers on cue even though the contingency plan has set fare caps here, PDF). I wonder why Brooklyn (and the very northern tip of Manhattan, for that matter) always get the shaft when it comes to citywide emergencies such as this. The contingency plan should have better provided for those residents.
The Long Island Railroad caters to much of Queens, the Metro-North Railroad covers much of the Bronx, and the Staten Island Ferry has Staten Island covered for those that can get there. Brooklyn doesn't have much other than a trip to Jamaica, Queens and through Queens to Penn Station on the LIRR and also the Command bus routes, which are likely packed beyond belief by the time they make it out of the first leg of their trips.
New Yorkers have the wonderful ability to create t-shirts immediately with the issue of the day. This is actually being sold here.
Also Missing in Action aside from the buses and trains was New York Governor George Pataki. Thus far, he has rejected calls to be personally involved in the negotiations. Perhaps if the Governor spent more time running the state than going off to Iowa and New Hampshire, we wouldn't be in this mess today.
Too busy running to be seventh in the New Hampshire primary in 2008 to run the state and handle a crisis.
As if Pataki had a shot at winning the nomination anyway.
The Local 100 is breaking the law while sticking to their high demands. The MTA is no angel in all this, they have been mismanaged to hell and back and couldn't afford the union's demands even if they wanted to give it away. But the TWU Local 100 had other options. It did not have to come to this.
The union held the city hostage. And it just pulled the trigger. Now it must suffer the consequences.
(To see the key issues, MSNBC highlights the main points of contention)
The TWU has been very militant in its demands for the new contract. And because of the 30,000-plus workers going on strike, millions have been hurt. I hope the TWU Local 100 is happy with the results.
A state judge slapped the Local 100 with a heavy fine for breaking the law that prohibits these workers from striking.
"TWU local 100 may not get much help, if any, from its parent union, TWU International, which is giving Toussaint and his leadership the cold shoulder. That could mean Local 100 will be stuck with paying the brunt of the penalties amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars and even jail time."
I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The strike has drawn the hostile attention of many throughout the city, as evidenced by the massive amount of comments that were on the Local 100's blog, before the comments have been erased from the blog. Is some criticism too much for the Local 100? I hope they're happy with the result. The blog can be found here. I wonder how a transit worker will make a strike location if they normally use mass transit.
(Here is a sampling of a few of the comments, thanks to The Politicker)
A pathetic attempt at waging a PR war has been launched by the Local 100, with a commercial with four workers saying they had no choice because there is no respect and the MTA wants to raise the retirement age from 55 to 62 (which is still a good deal these days). Now, the union wants the age lowered to 50. A transit worker could then theorhetically be on pension longer than actually being on the job. For this, they will strike. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
Mayor Bloomberg has had some particularly nasty words to say to the union, saying their actions are "selfish and illegal." I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
"The city comptroller’s office says the city stands to lose $1.6 billion in the first week of a strike, with the hardest economic blow coming on the first day." That does not even count wages and commissions lost as well as added expenses for those that can find another way to work. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The union was generous enough not to strike on Friday morning, when the last contract ran out. From NY1:
The TWU then said early Friday evening that the union is willing to resume negotiations, claiming they “are not ready to abandon New York.”
WOW! Thank you so much for waiting for four days while we got into the middle of a workweek and closer to the holidays. I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
The union was generous enough to lower their wage demands slightly if the MTA would scale back disciplinary actions against workers. I wonder what would warrant such actions. The union is willing to compromise safety (though they say the MTA is compromising safety) in exchange for a few dollars? And when the MTA says no, they will reject arbitration and strike? I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
And as a result, the festive time that is Christmas in New York is marred by this squabble. The union didn't like what was happening so instead of continuing negotiations or going to arbitration and going without a contract for a while like the police and teachers have done, the Local 100 decided to take the ball and go home, crying that they don't want to play anymore. Then they decided to kick sand in the face of a bystander (the public). I hope the Local 100 is happy with the result.
From MSNBC:
Authorities began locking turnstiles and shuttering subway entrances shortly after the Transport Workers Union ordered the strike at 3 a.m., and commuters struggled through a rush hour filled with disorder. At one subway booth, a handwritten sign read, "Strike in Effect. Station Closed. Happy Holidays!!!!"
Roger Toussaint, President of the TWU Local 100
Grinch of New York
While the strike is in effect, a contingency plan for the city is in effect. Aside from the one LIRR branch that goes to Brooklyn and the former Command buses that are supposed to be running (I have yet to see a BM4 pass by my window on Nostrand Avenue today and I think I heard one bus, maybe, in the vicinity today), there is nothing that Brooklynites can do other than try to pay for a cab (who started gouging customers on cue even though the contingency plan has set fare caps here, PDF). I wonder why Brooklyn (and the very northern tip of Manhattan, for that matter) always get the shaft when it comes to citywide emergencies such as this. The contingency plan should have better provided for those residents.
The Long Island Railroad caters to much of Queens, the Metro-North Railroad covers much of the Bronx, and the Staten Island Ferry has Staten Island covered for those that can get there. Brooklyn doesn't have much other than a trip to Jamaica, Queens and through Queens to Penn Station on the LIRR and also the Command bus routes, which are likely packed beyond belief by the time they make it out of the first leg of their trips.
New Yorkers have the wonderful ability to create t-shirts immediately with the issue of the day. This is actually being sold here.
Also Missing in Action aside from the buses and trains was New York Governor George Pataki. Thus far, he has rejected calls to be personally involved in the negotiations. Perhaps if the Governor spent more time running the state than going off to Iowa and New Hampshire, we wouldn't be in this mess today.
Too busy running to be seventh in the New Hampshire primary in 2008 to run the state and handle a crisis.
As if Pataki had a shot at winning the nomination anyway.
The Local 100 is breaking the law while sticking to their high demands. The MTA is no angel in all this, they have been mismanaged to hell and back and couldn't afford the union's demands even if they wanted to give it away. But the TWU Local 100 had other options. It did not have to come to this.
The union held the city hostage. And it just pulled the trigger. Now it must suffer the consequences.
(To see the key issues, MSNBC highlights the main points of contention)
posted by Will at 8:11 PM
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