NEW YORK - Threatened with huge fines and possible jail time, the city's transit union suggested Wednesday that it would be willing to end a strike that has shut down bus and subway service for two days — if a plan to change workers' pensions were dropped.
The union's suggestion came as millions of New Yorkers again trudged to and from work — some walking miles, others riding bicycles and in-line skates in the morning's 24-degree chill.
The contract covering 33,000 New York transit workers expired last week, and the union called the strike Tuesday morning despite a state law banning public employee strikes.
According to the union president, the sticking point is a proposed change in pensions. The Metropolitan Transit Authority's last contract proposed maintaining a retirement age of 55 but increasing what new hires contribute to the pension plan. New employees would pay 6 percent of their wages during their first 10 years, rather than the current 2 percent.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/ap_on_re_us/nyc_transit_strike