MTA Strike

[RoughRider]

Day two with a three hour commute to Manhattan from Long Island. Its hard to feel sorry for a group of workers who are holding out for the right to retire at 50. I know of a few Katrina victims who would jump threw hoops to work under the last contract.

Not Union bashing just blowing off steam........ :(

[DaSharkie]

State judge yesterday is fining the union $1,000,000 PER DAY. The national parent union has apprently told these guys to go back to work. I heard on the readio yesterday, that the local has no money to pay them "strike wgaes" so these guys are dead financially.

These guys make decent money considering the job they do. Let alone that they are breaking the law, and they were told so before the strike.

Personally, in this situation - fire them. Give the jobs to people who need them and will gladly take them without bitching for $50,000 per year.

Basically, I have no sympathy for these people. Striking is not a last resort - you keep going and you keep negotiating. You will get your money one way or another.

[E40FDNYL35]

Day two of the MTA strike. Maybe they should just volunteer to work.
Not Volley bashing just blowing off steam........ :(

The MTU was backed into a corner in humble opnion. There are other bigger issues for the future of their job which they felt they must strike. I for one support them. So it takes longer to go to work, no BIG DEAL to me.

[RoughRider]

Day two of the MTA strike. Maybe they should just volunteer to work.
Not Volley bashing just blowing off steam........ :(

The MTU was backed into a corner in humble opnion. There are other bigger issues for the future of their job which they felt they must strike. I for one support them. So it takes longer to go to work, no BIG DEAL to me.

Uh boy, good for you. You know what they say about opinions? Like as*holes
everyone has one and they all stink. Mine included. Perhaps, if I posted that I have to look forward to a difficult commute for the foreseeable future due to striking city employees it would be less offensive to you?

Do a search of my posts and check my history of not or never attacking union members.

My anger comes from having to commute from Long Island through New Jersey to get downtown. My anger comes from seeing the anxiousness in the eyes of 500,000 + commuters jam packed on the LIRR and the Path train. I witnessed an old lady with bags of Christmas presents in each hand that ripped their contents spilling on the floor and because of the masses at Penn station pushing forward could not retrieve them. The Path train that I rode from NY to NJ and back to NY again was so packed I could lift up both legs and not fall down. What if some mutt screamed fire or caused panic in these situations? In my humble opinion they should have stayed at the table and worked it out so innocent people are not put in harms way.

Ty

[nozzelvfd]

I didnt want to say this, but imagine if (heaven for bid) a terrorist attack occured now in the city.

[E40FDNYL35]

Too many "what if's"......


The MTA has demanded that the union accept alterations to the pension plan for new hires, citing huge deficits starting in 2008. The agency called for the retirement age to be pushed back to 62, instead of the current 55.
The union argues that the MTA, which has a $1 billion year-end surplus, has long overstated its financial woes. MTU workers were pushed to the point where they have to do what they have to do to make it better for them. The TWU has drawn the support - moral and financial - of all major city unions, which have painted the negotiations as vital to the future of labor strength in New York.

Pressed by reporters yesterday, Bloombag said the possibility of changing pension benefits for new city workers "is something we have to think about."

[lvwrench]

It seems like a New York kind of problem and the making of Home Alone 4.

[ChicagoFF]

Day two of the MTA strike. Maybe they should just volunteer to work.
Not Volley bashing just blowing off steam........ :( .
LOL! Funniest quote of the week!

[Dalmatian190]

Watch this one folks.

It could be much, much more significant than PATCO 25 years ago --

Municipal, State, and I guess Federal governments for many years promised very good pensions in exchange for lower pay today.

One, it's a nice way to stabilize your work force (people less likely to quit when they have a lucrative pension)

Two, it makes today's budget look really good.

Remember the new article about that town in Wisconsin that gave back the SAFER money? And a note at the very end of the article mentioned part of the reason is that Town has adopted a year early new state(?) regulations that they start including the value of future pensions and similiar compensation in their current budgets? You know, like we *hope* private employers do (they don't...)

But many places, not all, many never put money aside for pensions, just "planning" to pay those benefits out of future tax receipts.

Of course, now retirees are living longer and longer making the costs even greater...

Public employee pensions, awe heck, *any* defined benefit pension plan public or private or social welfare style is a major issue -- with legitimate arguements all around the table.

It's going to become a bigger issue going forward.

[RoughRider]

Too many "what if's"......


The MTA has demanded that the union accept alterations to the pension plan for new hires, citing huge deficits starting in 2008. The agency called for the retirement age to be pushed back to 62, instead of the current 55.
The union argues that the MTA, which has a $1 billion year-end surplus, has long overstated its financial woes. MTU workers were pushed to the point where they have to do what they have to do to make it better for them. The TWU has drawn the support - moral and financial - of all major city unions, which have painted the negotiations as vital to the future of labor strength in New York.

Pressed by reporters yesterday, Bloombag said the possibility of changing pension benefits for new city workers "is something we have to think about."

Interesting, the last I read in the hours before the strike, the issues that led to the strike were:
•Pay
The MTA agreed to a three year contract with raises of 3%, 4% and 3.5%
The Union wanted a three year contract with raises of 6% each year (They started at 24%)
•Retirement
The MTA agreed to full pensions at age 55- but wants new hires to pay 6 percent of salary to the pension fund for the first 10 years.
The Union wants to keep pension contributions for all at 2%

•Heath Insurance
The MTA wants new hires to contribute only 1% of their salary
The Union wants to keep the current system of fully paid health insurance

•The Billion dollar surplus
I have read that nearly half the surplus $450 million went to payments on the union’s pension plan. Every single cent of that $450 million goes to the transit workers. Another way of saying that when the contract expired, the MTA gave workers nearly half-billion dollar Christmas present.
Another $100 million went to holiday fare discount to riders who buy monthly tickets. (I got one of these. I do spend $300 buck a month just to get to work so I initially felt entitled)

I sell municipal bonds for a living. The MTA is one of the biggest issuers of bonds that my firm helps to underwrite (biggest borrowers). I can tell you with absolute certainty that the debt service in the next few years on the outstanding bonds is enormous (In the billions). That and the Pension costs which will more than triple in the next few years far out pace the current income flows (Moody’s & S&P reports). In short a billion dollar surplus is chump change when it comes to the MTA’s finances. In fact it would have been more prudent to save it for the upcoming expenses. So the Mayor and every city resident has a right to be concerned.
The enormity of this problem is not the fault of the hard working union member, they should get paid. I don’t work for free neither should anyone else.

As far as fellow union support goes the TWU International President Michael O’Brien had this to say yesterday afternoon: “TWU International notifies local 100 of its obligation under the preliminary injunction and temporary restraining orders issued by the New York Supreme Court to cease any and all strike or strike related activities and to report to work at their regularly assigned work hours and work locations.” Can’t get clearer than that.

It’s easy to why the other unions would be supportive besides brotherhood. They are not subject to the huge fines their brothers face as they fall on the sword for all union members in defending change for new hires.

As far as being backed into a corner or they had to strike? Didn’t the teachers, police and firefighters all continue working under expired contracts? They didn’t strike and hurt the very people that pay there salaries.

I hope the hard working TWU members get every penny they deserve but wish that some consideration be given to others when considering striking the next time.

I’m sorry you took my first post as an attack and felt compelled to attack me and volunteers which have absolutely nothing to do with my original post. I do try to be mindful of other people’s feelings when I write. It’s too bad you didn’t read it as it was meant, a simple rant. I will try to be clearer next time.

Merry Christmas

Ty

[E40FDNYL35]

^ me too ;)

[RoughRider]

^ me too ;)

Now that was the funniest quote this week.... :D
BTW~another 3 hour commute to work this morning. Its getting old fast. :eek:

[RspctFrmCalgary]

At least you still have a job to commute to.

I lost my job as a result of the transit strike in Calgary a few years ago. For the first 2 weeks of the strike I was able to get a ride with a friend, but then she moved to Ontario and nobody else was willing to car-pool. I lived in Downtown Calgary and my job was way in the SE. Too far to walk/bike. Way too far to take a cab, who can afford that??

[RoughRider]

My sympathies on the loss of that job. I hope since then you have been blessed with a much better opportunity. I'm expected to be at my desk despite the strike. I work on 100% commission. If I earn zero, I get paid zero. In other words my family eats what I slay. If I don't continue to produce I can be thrown in the trash heap and replaced by the newest Ivy league grad. As we speak I'm reading reports that the union will return to work as they continue to negotiate with the MTA.

RR

[smokeNphyer]

Frankly, it's about time workers pushed back. Granted NYC isn't a big corporation, but they operate just like one and have similar budgets.

Employees have been taking the shafts since about the early 80's. You look at housing costs, fueling costs, medical costs, etc.

I can't think of anybody that has gotten pay raises to cover any of this. Oh wait, CEO's, VP's, major share holders have gotten paid from these rising costs.

WAY TO GO FOR THE LITTLE GUY ON THE TOTEM POLE!!!!