"We need a union for starving twenty-somethings that naively majored in graphic design, marketing, art history, etc and then even more naively moved to New York."

This is the price you pay for majoring in something you happen to find interesting rather than something practical. I was an American Studies major and never dreamed I'd get a job that related in any way to my degree that would pay enough money - I bit the bullet and went to law school.

If you have a BA and want more money, you have to enter the professions, plain and simple - medicine, law, business. You may find this kind of work less-than-fascinating and/or extremely time-consuming, but these types of sacrifices are the way of the world. As a person with a BA, you have broader professional horizons than somebody without one - that's what your degree "buys" you.

I'm pretty sure that the emergency order the mayor signed to change all the taxi/parking/driving rule changes for a strike also includes a provision that removes restrictions against bicycles in commercial buildings. So if your employer is saying it's against the rule, you should check into it, I think that rule has been waived temporarily.

and to the person who has to go to JFK this weekend - call a car service and make a reservation NOW before it's too late. once the strike starts, nobody will be able to get a taxi in this town.

Fanofwalking says: "I hope the strike happens. It will be exciting to see the chaos."

People will die in ambulances, stuck in traffic---if the selfish TWU workers go on strike.

There will be gridlock.

And a bunch of lazy transit workers will be thrown in jail. Rightly so.

I hope the strike happens. It will be exciting to see the chaos.

The MTA is going to ban bikes on all Metro-North and LIRR trains in event of a strike. So that is not going to be good, as the bike train combo would seem like a winning idea. Then again, its the MTA the idiots who came up with the "Holiday Bonus" which could have been used to bribe/send into space Roger Touissant and his cronies.

For those on Staten Island, the Staten Island Railway will be running.

Funny observation, the MTA "Holiday Bonus" ads seem to run right before or right after the news segment about the transit stike talks.

"THIS IS WHY YOU GET PAID LESS. It has nothing to do with the transit union."

you don't really believe this, do you? you really think this kind of labor without a union gets this kind of pay?

"College is becoming more and more irrelevant as a factor for how much you get paid. Get used to it."

hardly. go compare income surveys tagged between education brackets and get back to us.

michael t, most MTA workers were born and raised in New York. What makes you more entitled to live here than them? You have some nerve telling native New Yorkers to move out of NYC just because your Midwestern artsy-fartsy design-school ass wants a cushy job making pretty layouts. I'm glad the MTA workers make more than you.

Nicole and michael t, you children are not supposed to be making 47K right out of college. You have to pay your dues. You are not entitled to more just because you have a fancy degree. Welcome to real life.

Entry-level workers are rarely useful in almost every professional field. These kids tend to be hot-headed and cause trouble for their superiors. Meetings get delayed and clients get bad impressions because of the mistakes and attitude of snot-nosed entry-level college brats. THIS IS WHY YOU GET PAID LESS. It has nothing to do with the transit union.

College is becoming more and more irrelevant as a factor for how much you get paid. Get used to it.

I am really not for or against strike and this is a thought which came up... all strike that affects public(whether its healthcare, transportation, etc.,) should only be allowed one first day of the week which is Sunday but not on the week which has holidays, in this way public is not affected to that extent and people still have their rights to strike.

What is strike, its an expression to show that there are issues. Strike affects economy of people and the nation and sometimes life.

PLEASE STRIKE IT OUT BEFORE YOU STRIKE.

I have been thinking the same exact thing as Michael T. I'm currently pursuing my Masters and, when finished, I'm looking at $38,000 starting salary with the City of New York. Why should someone with no college education make such a significantly higher salary than someone who put themselves through six years of higher education? Not to demean anyone's job, but driving a bus does not require such a high level of skill....

Does anyone else think the TWU is out of their bloody minds? The starting pay for a transit worker is $47,000 a year! That's a little more than what I make after four years at a major university and a disgusting amount of tuition debt, and these workers are complaining about their pay? They should feel lucky to be able to get a job with no college education that pays them that kind of money, plus benefits, plus pension! And trust me I realize that $47k doesn't carry you too far here, and I'm single, so I can feel their pain of having to provide for a family, but they are the ones choosing to live here-the South is three times as cheap for a family to live. We need a union for starving twenty-somethings that naively majored in graphic design, marketing, art history, etc and then even more naively moved to New York.

Bradd- Take AirTrain up to Jamaica, catch LIRR into Penn Station, then hope you get lucky and catch a cab in city. You will have no chance of getting into Manhattan otherwise.

Bradd- The chances of a strike are probably actually very low, so I wouldn't get too stressed out. If there is a strike, well, you'll enjoy a very unique visit to the city...

$25,000 fine for every striking worker is highly unnecessary and infringes on their rights.

Their rights to do something against the law? Nope, sorry, I don't buy it. Deciding to strike is tough, and I would respect their decision, but part of what makes it hard is accepting the consequences.

"So the question becomes: How do we get workers what they want and keep fares low?"

you don't.

(to be fair, this answer also works for "how can we get the MTA to keep fares low?")

If you ever wanted to start your own livery bus company, this may be the time. Although the city might get on your case for stopping to pick up people at bus stops. Where's Fung Wah when you need them?

Bradd,

JFK taxi fares are here. Highway robbery, I tell ya. Heck, it's back alley robbery, too.

Z: It doesn't seem fair that a cyclist would be at fault if a pedestrian steps in front of him/her without even looking and gets hit, but I'm sure you are right nonetheless... sigh...

Eli: thanks for the info!

dude: I just got this great all-sport helmet that has lil' ear flaps on it. That also really helps to keep your head warm on those long rides.

Bradd: I feel for ya, dude. It's probably going to be horrible at JFK... but at least taxis are allowed to pick up multiple passengers at one time.

i want a strike for my own selfish reasons- no school. Though DOE said schools would be delayed for two hours, there's no way I'm going to walk through half of Queens in those 2 hours to get to school.

I have to agree with the MTA and GaryK's comment. The union is a pretty selfish organization. THe pay scale is more than fair and the benefits should be undertaken by the union. I've paid union wages before and when I join a union, i expect benefits, not just the gift of loud arbitrators on my behalf.

However, the injunction is unfair. The TWU has a right to strike and if anything should be enforced its the simple Taylor Law rule of losing 2 days pay per strike day (and i even think that's unfair). $25,000 fine for every striking worker is highly unnecessary and infringes on their rights.

I hope Australia doesn't come in and take over NYC public transit like the did in Chicago.... 1: if the union negotiates more money and better contract then clearly unions work, like them or not. 2: New York City has record breaking visitors this holiday season - you can't get hotel rooms, so, maybe the city has money to give from the tax pool beyond the already approved $11 billion 5 year MTA capital program. 3: Economically, compared to other US countries and cities, NYC subways and taxis are pretty cheap. Do we not want to keep it that way? 4: I bet the Mayor won't want the city to shut down in the middle of holiday shopping and tourisim season - not letting high-spending Eurpoeans visit our stores will certainly not help boost the dollar, and will leave a bad taste in the mouths of people that will return home - don't want to send a bad marketing message globally about NYC do we? So the question becomes: How do we get workers what they want and keep fares low? Maybe we should revisit the 5 year capital program and see where the money is going, but that's a dangerous thread to pull on.... Elliot Spitzer, where are you?

Hey guys,

I'm flying into JFK on Friday afternoon, and this strike is making me nervous. You think I'll have any trouble getting a cab at the airport, since they'll be the only form of transportation? What's the average rate for a taxi from JFK to the east village? and from JFK to the upper east side? What am I gonna do in Manhattan for 10 days without the subway to get around?! Thanks in advance for any advice.