The Strike--Black And White

    Yesterday, I was out and about in the city trying to lend support to the strike. Sure, it was inconvenient, as I've heard many New Yorkers say, to get around. But, the strike is about a lot more than inconvenience.

    I want to start by repeating some thoughts expressed by Roger Toussaint, the leader of the transport workers union, who was, in my humble opinion, magnificient in his statements yesterday in taking on the ugly comments made by Mayor Bloomberg. For all those people dragging out the breaking of the Taylor Law as a way of criticizing the union, Toussaint and others have rightly pointed out that had Rosa Parks abided by the law when she rode the bus, many people would still be riding in the back of the bus, including as Toussaint pointed out, many of the people driving buses in NY today. Can you imagine where South Africa would be today if Nelson Mandela had decided to obey the law rather than sit in jail for 40 years. And what about the exalted American revolution, which started because a small band of people decided to defy the law?

    And I reiterate: yes, it's a drag that it takes longer to get somewhere and, yes, it's effecting people trying to get to work. But, people who are attacking the union need to ask themselves: when do we draw the line in defense of basic rights on the job? Airline workers are having their pensions ripped away, companies are filing bankruptcy to take away pay and benefits from workers (while executives still make millions), millions of workers are shouldering more health care costs and everyone is being told that they should not ask for a fair reward for hard work--all this in the richest country on the planet.

    As Toussaint said, "This is a fight over whether hard work will be rewarded with a decent retirement and over the erosion or eventual elimination of health benefits for working people. And it is a fight over dignity and respect on the job; a concept that is alien to the MTA." The transit workers' union, at great risk, is trying to draw the line not just for its members but for all workers. Some people may not see that now. But, another way of looking at the strike is that if it is successful, it will send a message to other employers, in the private and public sectors, that people are willing to resist the drumbeat of lowered expectations in the service of the free-market.

    Toussaint also made clear that the union would be willing to go back to work if the MTA pulled the pension issue off the table. It's time to turn the anger towards the MTA because it is the MTA and its president, Peter Kalilow, who caused this strike, not the workers. For a mere $20 million savings over three years, the MTA was willing to shut down the transit system. And I repeat my point from yesterday: if there are growing pension obligations down the road, the solution is not to immediately conclude, "ah, the workers should take the hit and take cuts in pensions." The solution to a crisis sometime in the future is to look at our society-wide priorities: do we believe every person is entitled to a retirement in our society? I obviously do and the richest country on earth can solve that problem if we're willing to confront the huge inequities in income distribution.   

    As for the mayor's comments--in particular, referring to the strikers and the union as behaving in a "selfish" and "thuggish" manner--he used some of the most nasty coded language imaginable. Rather than exercise leadership by seeking a settlement, a billionaire, who has no concept of what it's like to live on a middle-class salary, sought to divide the city, turning people against each other. I can't help but add: what are the unions who endorsed this mayor for re-election, over a Hispanic opponent, thinking now? I hope they feel some measure of shame or, at least, regret.

Comments

[GeoffK]

I heard clips from Toussaint's speech on the radio & read bits in the paper (and here) -- are there copies of the speech floating around? The TWU website doesn't seem to have one up.

[Joe Hill]

Right on, Jonathan. The contrast between our rulers - rich, greedy, selfish white men, racist and divisive - and Roger Toussaint, our working class leader - a proud African American immigrant, risking all for the sake of current and future members, and to uphold our basic human right to withhold our labor - has never been so clear. Every union member, every union leader, every worker is being asked the question right now by this strike, "Which side are you on?"

[Brandon]

How can one get involved? I called Local 100, but all they could really suggest is bringing coffee to picket lines. I'm in Philly, I was priced out of NY about a year ago. But if the strike is still on this weekend, I'd like to spend the weekend volunteering. Is JWJ or the CLC doing any solidarity actions?

[Bill Pearson]

Exceptional post Jonathan; and JH is on point...which side are you on boys? Where is the AFL-CIO? Where is the CTW gang? What's the Central Labor Council doing? Has the TWU International come to its senses and supported these brave workers and their remarkable leader.

Come on guys, it was easy to turn your back on the AMFA Northwest debacle; how the hell do you rationalize letting these workers go it alone?

Solidarity Forever anyone?

[kevin]

Bill,

the Labor Council did a press conference announcing they were collecting millions of dollars to help the TWU pay the fines for going on strike and/or cover other strike expenses. Leaders of both afl and ctw unions were there to pledge support SEIU and AFT are the two i remember off the top of my head.

[John A. Joslin]

Hey Brandon,.... You already have it figured out.... Your proposed "volunteer " weekend in the city is an excellent idea. The Local's suggestion re: "coffee" might strike you as uninspired at first thought....BUT, the person you talked to was probably slightly in shock at your offer to help. Most strikers these days know they're on their own ... On second thought, it's a damn practical notion ; when you are on a picket line , it often is tough to leave for a moment to get warm etc. ....you can decide how good an idea schlepping java is or isn't when you get to the city. I support your initiative to GO because I can't think of a more practical way to show solidarity.
It's very easy to come up w/ ideas at a distance so here goes: if you think you can hack driving in N.Y.C. traffic, decorate a car w/ " I support Local #100 " & become a FREE jitney service for as long as you can stand it....pass out support "buttons" to your riders if Local # 100 has 'em.
Anyway , good luck and post here w/news of what 's going on there...- J.Joslin ( IBEW #58 , Detroit )

[James]

Brandon: I got this email this morning, maybe it's a possibility for you:

Calling for creative group action @ THE PROTEST OF THE MTA AND THE CITY @ BKLYN BRIDGE, Thursday 4pm -6pm! (& future actions as long as strike is in effect)

Creative people of conscience... radical cheerleaders, singers, people with a boom box, dancers .. bust a move for the movement.. Support worker's rights to strike, pensions, healthcare and living wages.

JOIN IN a rendition of the soul classic, “RESPECT” (lyrics below)

I'm gonna bring a cd with aretha, queen (we will rock you & we are the champions), arrested development (united minds) and some other "protest" songs, my boom box on bike and pom-poms to the protest tomorrow and are down to be part of future actions.

If you wanta join in to form a creative soildarity cru, have ideas for lyrics or songs to play, contact me by e-mail ( mcb -at- indyvoter.org) or phone ( 347-729-3564) or post comments to my blog:
http://mcbacha.blogs.friendster.com/feelin_like_it_/

[Chris]

Check out Democracy Now for a transcript of Roger Toussaint's remarks at Wednesday's press conference.

[John A. Joslin]

It's fine that the N.Y.C. Labor Council has indicated it will support the Transit workers.... But I am a bit amazed that National Labor leaders are not appearing at Toussaint's side . Do they still think that pensions will be preserved Local union by Local union?

Ron Gettlefinger may have his hands full w/ UAW pension destruction but all the more reason for a visit to N.Y.C. w/ say a few busloads of UAW members/retirees at his side to remind us that pensions are necessities not frills.

By the way , if you're still going to the City , Brandon, e-mail me, I have another idea .... - J.Joslin

[Bill Pearson]

Thanks for the info Kevin, nice to see the local folks joining the battle. Kudo's to the CLC.

[Tasini]

I also wanted to point out that the CLC and the CTW unions were all doing support work for the strike. The only union that one should take issue with is the Transport Workers Union, which, shamefully, in my opinion, publicly undermined Toussaint and Local 100 by declaring that it was not supporting the strike by its own members.

[bruce]

excellent posts, Jonathan, but I have to say the other unions could have been a lot more supportive of the strike.

I looked around the Web yesterday, looking at 1199'2 site, UFT, NYC CLC, and NOWHERE did I see one workd of solidarity on their home pages. Maybe it was buried somewhere, but certianly not headlined.

[J.G. Schwam]

Bravo to you and the author of the Article below for pointing out TWU Local 100 and it's standup leader Roger Touissant were taking a stand for all workers across America, not just their own.

The arrogant MTA (and it should be noted that it's chairman Peter Kalikow is also a billionaire political appointee)would rather dump surpluses in a vain attmept to spoil contract negotiations ather than take care of those that work so hard 24/7 to "move New York". The MTA Board would not ever consider cutting their perks such as private cars and drivers and million dollar junkets, why should the workers suffer for their self serving arrogance?

Roger Touissant and the Local 100 executive board set a powerful precedent that all , across America struggling to keep their pensions and affordable health care benefits should be both gain strength from and be proud of.

Brovo Roger!

What They Were Striking For by Alexandra Walker

[lamar]

Lost in all the pro-union rhetoric is the idea that the MTA workers are already overpaid. Why does extra money in the MTA coffers mean the workers hit the lottery? And when the union has its members strike to protect potential future workers, you have a base dereliction of duty. When overpaid workers strike to get more money, unions are the losers.

[Joseph the Egyptian]

I'm a cook. I'm a good cook. An ambitious and talented cook, but still, just a line cook, a nobody. I work like three horses for mediocre pay, despite a decade of training and experience, and these MTA strikers get what? Fifty thousand bucks a year to sit on a chair pressing buttons? Now, if they were genuinely overworked and underpaid, that'd be one thing, but these guys went on strike objecting to the funding of their own pensions. If one takes 4% out of one's paycheck and puts it in the bank for later, this is not a "4% pay cut", it's a pension. There was and is no "pay cut" on the table.

The MTA union's thrown exactly the sort of greedy, childish tantrum that gave unions a bad name in the first place. It's as obnoxious as the way teachers' unions do still insist that no incompetent or grossly unqualified teacher can ever be fired. Though teacher's unions are much worse, of course, as they've destroyed American public schools by guaranteeing lifetime employment for the otherwise-unemployable and mentally ill.

Bloomberg may be an overdressed schmuck with manicured fingernails, but he had a good point about these guys.

As a guy who really does work very hard for a low wage, I have zero sympathy for these clowns. But if I ever do have the privilege of making dinner for a guy in an MTA uniform, I'll be sure to have one of the dishwashers spit in it before it leaves the kitchen.

*snickering* Actually, I'd never spit in food. But a lot of waiters aren't above doing so.

[incest porn]

thanks

[Victoria Mary Stong]

New York City M.T.A.: Being control freaks is not the way to treat NYC Transit Employees or any Employees. No one needs a Fascist Dictatorship. N.Y.C. Transit Employees work very hard for average pay. Even the N.Y.C. Sanitation workers get paid more than the N.Y.C. Transit Workers & get all the Holidays off & better Pension Plans. M.T.A. took(more like stole)a lot of vacation time & took prime spots that seniority & longevity earned them. What M.T.A. needs is to limit future diminishing quality of life issues such as Vacations, Holidays off, & Weekend off positions so that they can have their family lives back again.
The M.T.A. is destroying everything the Transit Workers Union has ever worked for.
Management needs to honor past agreements going forward.
NO GIVE BACKS, NO PAYING MEDICAL BENEFITS & NO RISING COSTS. N.Y.C. Transit employees should not have to pay the fines either. The fines need to be fought vigorously. It's bad enough they lost money during the Strike & gained nothing for it essentially. Can anyone say "BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS"? M.T.A. should'nt be investing on the backs of workers. If the M.T.A. was so honest & has nothing to hide, they should be more than happy to OPEN THE BOOKS immediately & not waste another second.
In my personal work experiences, it seems like the less an employer pays you, the less they respect you because they know you're worth more or much more. This seems to be the case here since the M.T.A. has very little respect for their workers. These Transit Workers work so hard & under many grossly unhealthy working conditions
too. Does the M.T.A. Executives care? I don't think so, with all due respect.
The Taylor Law seems to be the M.T.A.'s best friend since it only works for them on the most part. It seems the Taylor Law is only good for keeping our wonderful N.Y.C. Tranist workers down. You could say it's kind of is a way to enslave people. Workers rights are constantly stripped one way or another costing them a lot of money also. The M.T.A. doles out many unfair extreme disciplinary procedures etc.. But........THE M.T.A. REFUSES TO EVEN FOLLOW FEDERAL REGULATIONS ALL THE WHILE RECEIVING VARIANCES FROM NEW YORK STATE ON SAFETY! Workers health & safety should be paramount. For example; ordering anything other than immediate treatment by emergency services at the exact scene of an accident or crime location for an injured N.Y.C. Transit Worker only shows the M.T.A.'s blatant disregard for life. This lack of proper & unprofessional action has cost the lives of Transit Workers. TRANSIT WORKERS SHOULDN'T BE LITERALLY D Y I N G FOR THE M.T.A.'S CONTRARY GRAVE ORDERS FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE AS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, DISGUSTINGLY & SHAMEFULLY.
M.T.A. provoked the Strike because of their lack of good faith negotiations. Why should the T.W.U. pay for that? DEMOCRATIZE, not Fascist Dictatorship, should be the goal of the M.T.A.. N.Y.C. Transit Workers really need to be able to breathe.
Talk about breathing, there's no adequate protective masks when working in the subways from what Transit Workers tell me. The M.T.A. neglects to install adequate ventilation ducts, so workers & the public get cancers, asthma & other medical issues due to the lack of clean air. There's all kinds of bad dust blowing around in the subways from vermin, chemicals & all types of unhealthy particles. What we don't see is killing the N.Y.C. Transit Workers & everyone else except the M.T.A.(who know better)& the other rich people that don't go in the subways usually.
When it comes to Drug Testing, the M.T.A. also knows better than to subject N.Y.C. Transit Workers to their outdated, substandard, inadequate, faulty, inaccurate Drug Testing medical equipment. This same medical equipment being used for random drug testing is a scare tactic costing N.Y.C. Transit workers their careers! IT'S JUST PLAIN CRIMINAL TO USE BAD DRUG TESTING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO TEST N.Y.C. TRANSIT WORKERS & THEN PUNISH &/OR FIRE THEM AS A RESULT ADDING INSULT TO INJURY! I ask you..........when does this madness ever end? I know NO Transit Worker or the T.W.U. signed up to be under contempt, abused or neglected etc..
Roger Toussaint & the T.W.U. has done a great job. They shouldn't have to pay fines or go to jail. It just wouldn't be right.
I pray the M.T.A. will show respect to the T.W.U. & that both will get back to the table. God-willing this time negotiations will be in good faith. Keeping an open mind & agreeing to a fair, just contract is what needs to happen. The Transit Workers deserve it very much too. God knows the T.W.U. & the Transit Workers need to have their families back. They hardly have any quality time with their families(the way it is now)& that's not good for them, New York or others. All Union's eye's are on these negotiations & what the new contract will be, so it really needs to be fair. T.W.U. DESERVES to have a good contract. It is not a favor, just like Respect is not a favor. It is my wish that the M.T.A.(with all due respect)& the T.W.U. will eventually be at Peace with each other & settle their differences. It's so much easier to be in PEACE!!

Respectfully & Sincerely, Ms. Victoria Mary Stong/"Flag Lady", Humanitarian, Peacemaker & Civil Rights & Community Activist-Well Seasoned!

P.S. I remain impartial, but I just want to level the playing field. No one should be treated lesser than another. We are ALL God's children & don't deserve to be demeaned or otherwise treated badly.

[Victoria Mary Stong / Civil Rights Activist]

To those I asked to read this; Please email me at the email address on my card to tell me you DID read it? Thanks so much. Also please email this to your co-workers so they can share the info. they don't have?
Thanks so much and God bless everyone with Happy Holidays!