Possible end to NYC transit strike?

[Bluebear]

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....

"Were it not for the pension piece, we would not be out on strike," Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint said in an interview with New York-based all-news channel NY1. "All it needs to do is take its pension proposal off the table."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/ap_on_re_us/nyc_transit_strike

SOLIDARITY

[Warpy]

1. Until they did that eleventh hour hit on the pension plan

which would save them only $20 million over three years (chump change to NYC, a fortune to TWU workers), there was no hint of a strike.

This is just the MTA and Bloomberg standing there waving their dicks around, seeing how far they could push the union. There is no need for their demand, or it wouldn't have been a final "nanny nanny boo boo" to the TWU the way it was.

SOLIDARITY!!!

[Bluebear]

2. If Democrats don't stand with their Union brothers & sisters...

there is no hope for the working man. (In re: a bunch of posts here!)

[nedbal]

3. too big a bunch here are trashing the strikers

50k in NYC is like 25k in much of the rest of the country. the MTA keeps 2 sets of books and always cries no money for workers. we need give backs. the 6% means no increase for new workers, hence a cut

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. Speaking of which where are the ever silent...

ever feckless..Clinton and Schumer ? Have they commented on the strike?

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Agreed!

[nofurylike]

4. SOLIDARITY! thank you for posting this, Bluebear. eom

[elsiesummers]

5. The sad case is the lowest income NYC workers are most affected by strike.

People who earn less and have less job security are more likely to live in outer boroughs and have a more difficult commute. They are also the least likely to have the disposable income for 20 dollar cab rides - $40 a day is a budget breaker for many.

I was appalled at the captions and video clips of the NYC people all pissed off at the MTA workers, but you know, it's usually only the couple of most disgruntled that will vocalize their frustrations and end up on tv - it's always the most incendiary footage that makes it on screen. NY is a city that has repeatedly elected Republicans to mayor so I guess we shouldn't be all that surprised.

My husband commuted to work on Tuesday from Yorkville by rollerblade, and walked 5 miles home. Other coworkers had major hassles getting to work, except those that take the PATH regularly, about 1/3rd of the employees. One fellow ended up walking his bike to work across the Bklyn Bridge because of the quantity of people - though I've walked that route from Park Slope when the trains flooded during a water main break, (used to live there) and it isn't all that far. Tuesday night husband took a cab, no problem, to 125th Street and took Metro North to our cabin and I picked him up at the train at midnight - home at 1:00 am. He's telecommuting and he doesn't have high speed in the city. He's all for the MTA workers - but he can afford to be - and some can't.

Regarding the MTA dispute, I tend to think 55 is an early retirement age (but MTA has stopped pressing this), but god knows, I wouldn't want to work underground for 25 years with the rats and the urine and homeless - simply too depressing for more than 25 years. Meanwhile, I agree with the union that asking employees to pay for pensions is equivalent to accepting a pay cut.