chaos in nyc today

[Mamalakabubadaya]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/20/nyc.transit/index.html

Strike shuts down NYC transit system
More than 7 million riders affected



NEW YORK (CNN) -- More than 7 million passengers in New York City are having to find a new way of getting to work, do their holiday shopping and run their everyday errands.

For the first time in 25 years, New York\'s transit workers went on strike early Tuesday, shutting down the nation\'s largest public transportation system days ahead of Christmas.

The strike brings to a grinding halt Metropolitan Transit Authority buses and subways throughout all five boroughs.

"I think they all should get fired," Eddie Goncalves, a doorman trying to get home after his overnight shift, told The Associated Press. He said he\'ll likely spend an extra $30 per day in cab and train fares, according to the AP.

City officials have said a transit strike could cost the city as much as $400 million a day. (Read about the economic impact)

"Transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected," said Roger Toussaint, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union.

The strike defies the Taylor Law, which forbids public employees from walking off the job. The law imposes a fine of two days\' pay for each day of an illegal strike.

In addition, the union could be fined millions of dollars a day.

The union and the more than 30,000 members of Local 100 also risk contempt for defying a court injunction last week barring the strike.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the strike "illegal and morally reprehensible" and said the union faces severe consequences.

"This is not only an affront to the concept of public service, it is a cowardly attempt by Roger Toussaint and the TWU to bring the city to its knees to create leverage for their own bargaining position," Bloomberg said at a news conference Monday night. (Watch the mayor vow to hit the union hard -- 3:12)

New York Gov. George Pataki echoed those sentiments, saying union members "are also recklessly endangering the health and safety of each and every New Yorker."

The chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Peter Kalikow, said its lawyers and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will begin with contempt proceedings against the union.

No deal, no work
The city has implemented a strike contingency plan that requires carpooling and other travel restrictions. The city is prohibiting cars from entering most of Manhattan between 5 and 11 a.m. without at least four people in the vehicle.

Traffic was heavier than usual ahead of 5 a.m., with commuters trying to beat the deadline.

Schools also are starting two hours late.

Hours before the strike, Toussaint said transit workers were prepared to lower their wage increase demands from 8 percent to below 6 percent, if the MTA agreed to reduce the number of disciplinary actions launched against transit workers and grant other concessions.

Talks between the MTA and union leaders did not reach agreement on other key issues such as health benefits and pensions.

The vote to reject the MTA contract offer was 28-10, with five abstentions, said Ainsley Stewart, a Transport Workers Union vice president. (Watch the union leader announce the strike -- 3:55)

Toussaint called on Pataki and Bloomberg to play a constructive role in negotiations and restore state and city funds to the mass transit budget. He said that state funding has gone from 20 percent a decade ago "to zero for capital funding."

There were signs TWU workers will get support from union leaders for Metro-North railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the country that shuttles some 250,000 commuters in and out of Manhattan every day.

A leader of the Transportation Communications Union System Board No. 86 signaled solidarity with workers on the MTA system and complained that his members have been unsuccessful in negotiating a contract for three years.

"A similar situation is in store for the MTA\'s Metro-North property if a fair agreement is not reached," warned Russell Oathout, general chairman of No. 86, in a news conference.

[Drew_Kingsley]

I almost had my Mass Media final cancelled because of this.  The professor showed up with 5 minutes left until the dean of students was going to let us go (the rule is 45 minutes).

What an awful (and probably intentional) time of year for this.

[obsession600]

My commute wasn\'t very bad. A co-worker of mine also lives in Queens and has a car. We dragged our significant others (who did not have to report to work in the city today) along with us so we met the 4 person minimum. Traffic was congested headed to Manhattan but we were never at a standstill and once we crossed the river the traffic was light. The girls had a very quick and easy commute back out after dropping us off.

A lot of people stayed home today and the majority of those that ventured out were very well behaved. How long everyone will keep such a good attitude is hard to say.

Most people that I have chatted with feel that the TWU is being unreasonable. There are two demands that they have made that seem outrageous; a 24% pay increase over three years, and a mandatory reduction of the number of disciplinary actions launched against transit workers.

[skalnbyc]

Their wages are artificially high at present, inflating the costs incurred of those who use the system.

I used to make less than the ticket collectors on Boston trains when I worked in Boston\'s financial district.

[SlimPickens]

Their wages are artificially high at present, inflating the costs incurred of those who use the system.

I used to make less than the ticket collectors on Boston trains when I worked in Boston\'s financial district.

Elaborate please.  

Cause if you are saying that a "1st day on the job" ticket collector made more than you, a greenhorn in the boston financial district, then I agree, that would seem quite inflated.

But if you\'re saying that the median pay scale for ticket collectors, which includes folks that have been on the job for 30+ years, is higher than yours, I\'d say suck it up ROOKIE, because in 10 years you\'ll be making more money than that ticket collector will ever make in his/her life.  And whenyou\'re 38 and thinking about buying a vacation home, Mr. ticket collector will only be earning 6% more than he did 10 years ago.

[Jim Cobb]

metro north was on schedule, so walking 20 blocks downtown from grand central was no biggie.  i actually kinda enjoyed it and am going to consider making that a permanent thing (it\'ll save me $76 bucks a month)

[Drew_Kingsley]

metro north was on schedule, so walking 20 blocks downtown from grand central was no biggie.  i actually kinda enjoyed it and am going to consider making that a permanent thing (it\'ll save me $76 bucks a month)

And if you can do it in December, it probably doesn\'t get much tougher over the course of the year.

[SlimPickens]

metro north was on schedule, so walking 20 blocks downtown from grand central was no biggie.  i actually kinda enjoyed it and am going to consider making that a permanent thing (it\'ll save me $76 bucks a month)

you should have bought a bike a long time ago.

[skalnbyc]

Their wages are artificially high at present, inflating the costs incurred of those who use the system.

I used to make less than the ticket collectors on Boston trains when I worked in Boston\'s financial district.

Elaborate please.  

Cause if you are saying that a "1st day on the job" ticket collector made more than you, a greenhorn in the boston financial district, then I agree, that would seem quite inflated.

But if you\'re saying that the median pay scale for ticket collectors, which includes folks that have been on the job for 30+ years, is higher than yours, I\'d say suck it up ROOKIE, because in 10 years you\'ll be making more money than that ticket collector will ever make in his/her life.  And whenyou\'re 38 and thinking about buying a vacation home, Mr. ticket collector will only be earning 6% more than he did 10 years ago.

Slim, I think you mixed too much Socialism with your marijuana

Hope to see you in Boston on Fri.

[SlimPickens]

Their wages are artificially high at present, inflating the costs incurred of those who use the system.

I used to make less than the ticket collectors on Boston trains when I worked in Boston\'s financial district.

Elaborate please.  

Cause if you are saying that a "1st day on the job" ticket collector made more than you, a greenhorn in the boston financial district, then I agree, that would seem quite inflated.

But if you\'re saying that the median pay scale for ticket collectors, which includes folks that have been on the job for 30+ years, is higher than yours, I\'d say suck it up ROOKIE, because in 10 years you\'ll be making more money than that ticket collector will ever make in his/her life.  And whenyou\'re 38 and thinking about buying a vacation home, Mr. ticket collector will only be earning 6% more than he did 10 years ago.

Slim, I think you mixed too much Socialism with your marijuana

Hope to see you in Boston on Fri.

HAHA!  You know it!

p.s. - i don\'t rock the ****.

[freddiewaht]

fuckem all...
ill bury those cockroaches...

[Spacey]

They have every right to strike. And rightfully so, the transit workers haven\'t had a raise in a long time and the transit companys only want to give them a raise based on inflation. I know most people here say fuck the common person but it is there right to strike if they feel they are not getting what they rightfully deserve. Put yourself in there shoes, what would you do?

And the timing of the strike is perfect. If the heads of transit want this to end then they know what to do.

[leith]

They have every right to strike. And rightfully so, the transit workers haven\'t had a raise in a long time and the transit companys only want to give them a raise based on inflation. I know most people here say fuck the common person but it is there right to strike if they feel they are not getting what they rightfully deserve. Put yourself in there shoes, what would you do?

And the timing of the strike is perfect. If the heads of transit want this to end then they know what to do.

No they do not have every right to strike. What they are doing is illegal. Just as Pres. Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers, in the \'80\'s, The Gov. of NY should do the same. It is one thing to use the union\'s power to get better wages. I am all for MOST unions. However in this case they are PUBLIC servants and they KNOW this taking the job. Holding the public hostage is ridiculous esp. in a city where mass transportation is sooo very important. They should all be brought up on contempt charges and fired!
just my thoughts.

[Spacey]

no sense in arguing.

It is their constitutional right to strike. The public is inconvienced, yes. But, do the workers not have a right to stand up for their job and ask for money above inflation rate?

Why is it illegal what they are doing?

I think many people have no sense in what unions have accomplished for working class people. If you like weekends, thank the union. You like holidays, thank the union. The point is that in this country, if you don\'t like the way things are being done, its your right to fight. This country has gone sloth and has accepted it. Take a look at other countries, a country where they don\'t like there leader and most of the time, they go to the streets to protest. We hardly do that anymore in this country.

Apologize for the rant.

[kindm's]

The TWU is in violation of the law and spitzer et al are already filing motions against the union. The union is denied the right to strike according to the law and to piggyback on leiths analogy about reagan, bloomberg is talking about hurting the union much like reagan did.

The problem is two-fold however. The MTA is so mismanaged I feel for the workers but asking for 26% raises and the salaries these folks make is pretty big for doing a job that really doesn\'t require skills.

Getting paid 40k+ to sweep train platforms and that kind of stuff is huge money. On top of that they want the garuntee of retirement at 55 with full medical benefits.

Their gig is almost as good or better than being a postal worker.

I would be lucky if someone garunteed me anything in this world.

The mismanagement is crazy. they were caught cooking the books just 2 years ago when they tried to raise the rates. a Judge put a temp hold on it but eventualy it went through. Commuters are the ones that end up suffering. We get ever increasing rates with ever decreasing services.

They have removed ticket takers and put in automated machines for it but the prices didn\'t go down.