The transit strike

[holzman_tweed]

First, the full disclosure bit: I live in Queens. The limited strike that began last week has been quite disruptive to me. The Transit Worker's Union strike that is now underway effectively bars me from Manhatten unless I go to far more trouble than it's really worth to get there.

I support the Transit Worker's Union in this strike, even at that cost to me. And I urge you to do so as well.

Some may wonder why. Simply put, the MTA, the City, and the State are being quite unreasonable in the positions they are demanding. They are hoping to rely on the Taylor law that bans state employees from striking to force the union to make concessions that would be the start of a very slippery slope not just for them, but for other public employee unions and for unions as a whole. We should not tolerate that.

Those with short memories may recall that the TWU has been getting the short end of the stick since 9/11, because the police and firefighters were demanding long-overdue raises then. The city used that as an excuse to tell everyone else they'd have to wait until later. Well, it's later.

It's not as if the MTA needs these concessions from the union. They're not hard up for cash. In fact they have a cash surplus. That surplus didn't stop them from raising fares.

It's not as if the City needs these concessions from the union. The city stopped contributing money to the MTA, even though the city is the immediate beneficiary of the MTA's operations. What's more, I've gotten $400 checks this year and last from the city because they had so much money. (I wonder if I'll get one this year now that Bloomberg isn't up for re-election. Bets?)

It's not as if the Union is being given any alternatives to capitulation or strike. The MTA is deadlocking. The mayor isn't trying to help negotiations. The governor isn't trying to help negotiations. Perhaps no surprise there if we view them as partisan hacks taking the opportunity to break a union; utterly incomprehensible if we regard either of them as a man possessed of an iota of leadership or integrity.

So there you have it. The TWU is on strike. It behooves us to support them. I urge you to contact the mayor, the governor, your state senators and state assembly members and tell them you support the union and are shocked that they didn't step in to bring things to a better state of affairs than this.

While you're at it, tell them to repeal the Taylor law. It has now been demonstrated that as rare as a TWU is, when it happens it happens because it has to happen.

Comments

[silme.livejournal.com]

I was watching CNN over here and was very disappointed when Bloomsberg called the transit workers 'selfish'. Shame on him!

[docstrange.livejournal.com]

If you first accuse your adversary of your own crimes and weaknesses, it makes him sound petty when he points out that in fact they are your crimes and weaknesses.

Cheap political strategy.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it works. It's kind of the way that a lot of Americans seem to be swallowing everything that Bush tells them. :(

[jamie-miller.livejournal.com]

Hear hear.

[sweh.livejournal.com]

I saw some figures around showing that MTA workers aren't underpaid (a bus driver averages more than Tori does) and have excellent benefits packages (free health insurance and so on). I don't know if the figures quoted in that piece were accurate (but I do have a friend who works on Wall St and uses his wife's medical insurance plans because she works for the MTA and it's so much better) but, personally, calling for 25% over 3 years is... staggering.

I've also read that the MTA doesn't actually have a surplus; they'd borrowed money for new trains and buses and not spent all of that borrowed money, and that is the surplus that's being pointed to. The MTA is operating at a loss, and that's why they put up prices (and then fucked around by giving holiday "gifts"... duh; st00pid!).

Now, the MTA is seriously cheap. Amazingly cheap. Especially when compared to London. MTA prices should be revamped to meet the reality of how much it costs. Maybe $3 tickets. Then there'd been money to pay union demands.

As for the Taylor law... yeah, that's a little fucked up. In the UK we don't allow emergency services (eg fire brigade) to go on strike, but transport workers... sure! They should be allowed. I may not agree with their demands, but they should have the right to strike!

[holzman.livejournal.com]

The thing to recall about the raises is that they went several years without because the city used the police and firefighter raises as an excuse to put them off. In any event, the raise isn't on the table anymore -- the union is willing to accept 9% over 3 years, which is a compromise between it's starting position and the MTA's starting position of 5% over 2 years.

The issues at the heart of the deadlock are raising the age of retirement and requiring new employees to pay 6% for health insurance, which pretty much wipes out most of the raise. For what MTA employees are making (not just bus drivers, but mechanics, train conductors, station attendants, etc.), that's a pretty big hit.

As to whether they're underpaid, that's not as simple a question as you suggest. I can't find anything authorative, but Google is showing me reports of average salaries for NYC Bus Drivers between the mid 50s and low 60s. Given the importance to the city's financial health these people's jobs are, I think it's going to be very difficult to make the case that they're underpaid.

On the other hand, if you want to use that to make the case that Tori is underpaid, I'm right there with you. (I am recalling correctly that she's a SysAdmin, right? For how long I think she's been in the field, I'd think she should be making about half again what bus drivers make -- if not clear into six-digit land.)

Could you send me the reference about the MTA not having a surplus? I'd like to read more about that.