8 replies to this topic

[NickG]

From the New York Daily News, 11/22/05:

The head of the transit workers union yesterday raised the specter of a strike, calling bus and subway workers who recently walked off the job in Philadelphia an inspiration.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Daily News, 12/1/05:

Union KOs secret bid from MTA

Transit union leaders rejected yesterday a secret MTA bid to avert a city-crippling strike if a contract agreement isn't reached by the Dec. 15 deadline, the Daily News has learned.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Daily News, 12/2/05:

TWU gets timely 60M offer for its HQ

Leaders of the transit workers union have a $60 million offer to buy their Manhattan headquarters - potentially giving them a huge war chest as they refuse to rule out a costly strike, the Daily News has learned.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/4/05:

Keep the Transit Talks Rolling

New Yorkers have an enormous stake in the negotiations over a new transit workers' contract. The quality of bus and subway service is on the line, not to mention the size of the fares. With the current contract set to expire Dec. 15, there's also the fear of a strike at the worst possible time. Reaching a sensible agreement is in everyone's interest.

The full editorial is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/7/05:

M.T.A. and Union Clash on Pensions and Roving Conductors as Deadline Closes In

Ten days from a contract deadline, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is clashing with transit workers over its demand for cheaper pensions for new employees and has made a bold proposal: having subway conductors walk through train cars instead of staying in their booths.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/8/05:

M.T.A. Offers 2-Year Pact; Union Balks

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority yesterday offered subway and bus workers a two-year contract with raises of 3 percent next year and 2 percent the following year - a more generous wage proposal than it made during the last contract talks, in 2002 - but insisted that new employees pay 2 percent of their earnings toward health care premiums.

Roger Toussaint, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, said the proposal as a whole was unacceptable.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/9/05:

Mayor Prepares for the Worst Case: A Transit Strike

If New York City transit workers go on strike, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to trade in his Upper East Side town house for a cot at the Office of Emergency Management's Brooklyn headquarters so he can walk to City Hall.

The full story is here.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/9/05:

As Transit Talks Drag On, Some Suspect a Slowdown

The doors take forever to close. The subway inches down the tunnel. Then it screeches slowly to a halt. It sits there. Seconds turn to minutes. No announcements are made. Is this a work slowdown by angry transit union members, or just a regular day in the New York City subway system?

The full story is here.

My firsthand observations this week: the 2/3 have been normal, but the 4/5 have been ridiculously slow when I've taken them uptown in the morning. Lexington Avenue is the most congested line in the system, so I'm not ready to announce a conspiracy theory just yet. Besides, I don't really see how slowing down the trains would help the workers, other than giving them something to laugh at.

[NickG]

From the New York Times, 12/10/05:

A Transit Strike Could Cost Up to $10 Million a Day

A strike by subway and bus workers would cost New York City about $10 million a day in police overtime and other expenses, the city's top lawyer, Michael A. Cardozo, said during a court hearing yesterday.

The full story is here.