Down To The Wire For Transit Workers

    I hope that every New York labor person comes out today for the big demonstration in support of the transit workers. The demo is taking place at 4:00 p.m. in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on 42nd Street near Lexington Avenue. That's the location of the around-the-clock negotiations (the contract expires at 12:01 a.m. Friday).

    The front section of The New York Times metro section has three stories about the possible strike. The lead story focuses on the mayor's announcement that, if there is a strike, only cars with at least four people would be permitted to enter Manhattan south of 96th Street. The most interesting story is that of a subway conductor named William Bailon and his struggles to pay bills on the salary of a transit worker: "It's so expensive to live in New York," he said. "Everything is going up: the rent, the gas, the milk."

    I have no particularly unique insight into whether a strike will happen. My instinct says there will be a deal because the transit authority is sitting on a $1 billion surplus. The authority has used part of its surplus to give riders a small discount during the holiday season--I had a fantasy that the public would rise up and say "we'll pass on the few extra dollars because, long-term, it's better for moral and better for our society as a whole to reject the Wal-Martization of wages so let's give the transit workers a good deal."

    Looming over the effort to make a decent living is the Taylor Law, which is a state law that prevents public employees from striking. It's hard to fathom how we live in a supposedly democratic society where people do not have basic right to strike--not to imagine the real right to form a union.

Comments

[Jan Cornell]

"It's hard to fathom how we live in a supposedly democratic society where people do not have basic right to strike"-- Welcome to Virginia public workers!

So will they walk or not if the court says no? I understand the workers can be fined 2 days pay for every day they're on strike?

[remy]

no right to strike for public workers in new york? fines of 2 days pay for each day on strike, in NEW YORK? NEW YORK?!

[Cameron Williams]

No riders support this union because the majority of TWU workers go out of their way to mistreat customers. They deserve higher pay, but they need to clean up their act. They stink.

[jarhead]

It's time for "unions" to unite , lately all you hear about is surplus's and corporate bonuses,incentives etc..
why ? because we have become complacent and allowed revamped laws from the very ones we elected into office ! what happened ? whats a 3-4 % raise do for you when everything you need in general has gone up 12-15% !
If ever there was a time for Unions to Unite IT IS NOW !
Support each other-what these Corporate deamons want to do is bust each and every Union - even if it's just 1 every 3-4 years ...thats their plan...so when they ask you for "give backs" ask yourself ...How much are they making and how much are they giving back ?
As for me -I hope they strike-i hope other unions actively support them , I am willing to walk-as long as it takes 10-12 miles a day..i will lose some weight and get some much needed exercise..hopefully those Corporate Big wigs will get a much needed kick in the Ass..
Remember: IN UNITY THERE IS STREGNTH ! HELP YOUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS ! DON'T THINK OF IT AS AN INCONVENIENCE-THINKS OF IT AS "NEXT TIME IT WILL BE YOU!!!"